Dallas Duo Indicted in 13-Year-Old Sex Trafficking Case

DALLAS, TX – Two Dallas men are facing federal charges after allegedly purchasing sex from a 13-year-old victim. Kention Obryan Johnson, 35, and Sergio Trinidad Carvajal, 30, were indicted last week by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking of children, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Erin Nealy Cox, announced today.

The indictment stems from a late-year investigation that uncovered a predatory network exploiting a vulnerable minor. According to court documents, the pair, along with co-conspirator Curtis Vance Mathis, 34, allegedly advertised the victim on CityXGuide.com, a now-defunct illegal sexual services website. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) raided a West Irving hotel room on November 5, 2019, finding the 13-year-old dressed only in an oversized hoodie.

“Traffickers sell children for sex because their clients will pay for it. It’s that simple,” Cox stated bluntly at a press conference. “By attacking both the supply and the demand, we think we will be able to truly make a difference in fighting this dehumanizing, horrific crime.” The investigation revealed hotel surveillance footage showing Johnson, Carvajal, and Mathis entering and exiting the room. A deep dive into the victim’s phone records exposed text message exchanges with Johnson and Carvajal discussing payment for a “qv” – slang for a brief sexual encounter – confirming their involvement.

Forensic evidence sealed the case. DNA recovered from condoms found in the hotel room definitively matched both Johnson and Carvajal, linking them directly to the exploitation of the child. Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge of HSI’s Dallas Field Office, emphasized the agency’s commitment: “The sex trafficking of minors is a despicable crime…HSI will use every resource available to ensure you face justice.” Spradlin added that HSI will relentlessly pursue both traffickers *and* those who create the demand.

This prosecution is a key component of the Justice Department’s sex trafficking demand reduction initiative, which targets those who fuel the market for commercial sex acts involving children. The Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017 made clear that purchasing sex from a trafficking victim carries the same weight as the act of trafficking itself. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myria Boehm and Becky Ricketts are leading the prosecution. The Fort Worth Police Department assisted HSI in the investigation.

An indictment is not proof of guilt. Johnson, Carvajal, and Mathis are all presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, each defendant faces a potential sentence of up to life in federal prison. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dark underbelly of Dallas and the ongoing fight against human trafficking.

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