Deuvontay Charles Convicted of Sex Trafficking Minors

Deuvontay Shelby Charles, 21, of Minneapolis, was convicted after a six-day federal trial on charges of sex trafficking three minor girls and producing and receiving child pornography involving two underage victims. The jury returned its guilty verdict on December 14, 2016, in the District of Minnesota, capping a case built on chilling digital evidence and the harrowing testimony of four young survivors. Charles was originally indicted on March 7, 2016, and now faces decades behind bars when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen, though no date has been set.

At trial, prosecutors laid bare Charles’s calculated exploitation of vulnerable girls, using promises of money, protection, and luxury to lure them into commercial sex. One 17-year-old victim was targeted by Charles with messages promising travel to Las Vegas and a life where “it will be smooth sailing.” He offered condoms, instructed her to save his number as “Daddy,” and ultimately posted her as an “escort” on backpage.com. For five days in August 2015, he trafficked her from a cash-paid hotel room in Bloomington, Minnesota, registered under a false name, collecting money from the sex acts she was forced to perform.

But Charles’s crimes went further. A 14-year-old girl testified that between July 2 and July 4, 2015, she sent Charles eight sexually explicit images of her genitals after he requested them. He sent her two adult pornographic images and told her to mimic the poses. Another 14-year-old victim confirmed Charles asked her to film herself performing sexual acts, then pushed her into prostitution, telling her “sex” when asked what he meant by “making money.” He acknowledged she was “kinda young,” but emphasized the financial payoff.

The case began in July 2015 when a mother contacted the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, alarmed that Charles was grooming her 17-year-old daughter. His private messages revealed a pattern of manipulation and control. That initial tip unraveled a broader scheme, uncovering two more underage victims and exposing Charles’s ongoing pattern of predatory behavior—all while he was legally required to register as a predatory offender due to a 2014 Dakota County conviction for soliciting a minor.

“Deuvontay Charles is a predator,” declared Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino. “He targeted vulnerable girls to traffic for commercial sex and to use to produce sexually-explicit images.” She praised the courage of the victims who testified, calling their stories “difficult to hear” but essential to securing justice. “The United States Attorney’s Office thanks the victims who courageously testified at trial and the jury who rendered this just verdict.”

Law enforcement officials hailed the conviction as a win forged through relentless collaboration. Special Agent in Charge Alex Khu of Homeland Security Investigations – St. Paul emphasized the role of interagency work with the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office and other local and federal partners. Sheriff James Stuart issued a blunt warning: “Let this be another warning to those who seek to victimize others in the name of greed. If you choose this evil path, we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”