Employees at a Minnetonka gas station coerced a 14-year-old girl into committing sex acts in exchange for cigarettes numerous times late last year, according to charges filed Thursday.

Erwin J. Kruk, 26, of Eden Prairie, Deandre J. Boyd, 21, of St. Louis Park, and Jammie D. Lee, 44, of Minnetonka have been arrested and are charged in Hennepin County District Court with third-degree criminal sexual conduct and an additional felony for hiring a young teen for sex. Kruk and Boyd also are charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The abuse is alleged to have occurred in the first half of December at the Freedom gas station on Shady Oak Road, north of Excelsior Boulevard and just west of downtown Hopkins.

According to the cases filed against the three:

The girl told sex abuse counselors that she went to the gas station and Boyd said he would sell her cigarettes if she would expose her breasts to him. Boyd led the girl to a back hall that didn't have surveillance cameras and molested her.

The girl revealed to two girlfriends what she was doing with the three men for the cigarettes.

The men no longer work at the gas station.

"Sex-trafficking ranges from organized rings to the kind of activities we have charged here," County Attorney Mike Freeman said. "In this case, we are alleging that Mr. Boyd took advantage of a young girl and her desire for cigarettes in order to have sexual contacts and then helped his friends do the same. We are using new resources from the Hennepin County Board to crack down on these kinds of crimes."

A telephone message was left Thursday afternoon with Boyd's attorney seeking a response to the allegations. Court records don't yet show legal counsel for Lee or Kruk.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482