Da-Shun Curry, a 23-year-old Columbia man known as “Dae Dae,” pleaded guilty in federal court to Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking, a crime that saw underage girls moved across state lines and forced into commercial sex acts. The plea, entered in Charleston, South Carolina, marks a grim chapter in an investigation that exposed a brutal trafficking ring preying on vulnerable minors.
U.S. District Judge David Norton presided over the hearing where Curry admitted to his role in a conspiracy that trafficked three female victims under the age of 18. Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Austin, presented evidence showing Curry transported victims into the North Charleston area with full knowledge of their age and the use of force, fraud, or coercion to control them. The crime, prosecuted under Title 18, U.S.C. §1956(a)(1), carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison.
According to court records, Curry operated as part of a network that exploited young women through manipulation and violence. The victims were brought in from out of state and held in conditions designed to strip them of autonomy. Investigators revealed that Curry not only facilitated the movement of minors but actively participated in coercing them into prostitution, targeting those he knew were too young and too desperate to fight back.
The case was jointly investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the North Charleston Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit. Their work uncovered a pattern of predatory behavior that extended beyond isolated incidents, painting Curry as a central figure in a broader operation that treated human lives as commodities for profit.
Sentencing has been postponed to a later date, but federal prosecutors are pushing for the maximum penalty. With no plea deal disclosed, Curry now faces the full weight of the federal justice system. The outcome will be closely watched by advocacy groups and law enforcement alike as South Carolina continues to confront a rising tide of human trafficking.
Anyone with information on human trafficking is urged to contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888. The 24-hour hotline, operated by Polaris – Freedom Happens Now, remains a critical tool in identifying victims and dismantling criminal networks like the one Curry helped run.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael Peyton Gunn Convicted in Child Sex Trafficking Horror · Texas
- Pelosi Gets 37 Months for Skipping Sex Offender Registry · Massachusetts
- Frankie Maldonado Guilty of Child Porn, Sex with Teen · South Carolina
- Favela Gets 30 Years for Child Sex Abuse · South Carolina
- Florence Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Offender Registration Violation · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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