DALLAS – Damion Kentrell White, 24, of Dallas, will spend the next two decades behind bars after being sentenced yesterday to 240 months in federal prison for the predatory exploitation of a vulnerable teenage girl. U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey handed down the sentence following convictions stemming from a calculated scheme to force the victim into commercial sex acts, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. This isn’t just about sex; it’s about calculated abuse of a person with diminished capacity.
White pleaded guilty to one count of using a facility of interstate commerce in aid or a racketeering enterprise and one count of illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment. The investigation revealed a disturbing pattern of grooming and coercion, preying on a victim the Whites had known since she was a child. The evidence showed they deliberately targeted her vulnerability, exploiting her developmental disability for financial gain.
This case isn’t isolated. White’s brother, Kenneth Laray White, 27, already received a 326-month federal prison sentence earlier this year for his role in the same sickening enterprise. Kenneth White pleaded guilty to similar charges – racketeering and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Their cousin, Mecose Mendale Shorter, 32, also of Dallas, faces sentencing on November 28, 2016, after pleading guilty to using interstate commerce to facilitate prostitution. The trio systematically ran a prostitution ring in Dallas hotels, treating human beings as commodities.
Court documents paint a chilling picture. Between July 4, 2013, and July 22, 2013, the Whites and Shorter operated a prostitution enterprise, recruiting the 18-year-old victim – who had been known to them since she was 15 – by exploiting her diminished mental capacity. Damion White initially feigned friendship, then used deception to lure her from her home. Once in their control, they confined her to motel rooms, depriving her of food and freedom, and used provocative photos taken by Kenneth White to advertise her services on backpage.com. The victim was forced into commercial sex acts, with the money flowing directly to Kenneth White.
The operation wasn’t confined to sexual exploitation. During a search of Kenneth White’s girlfriend’s apartment following his arrest on February 25, 2014, agents discovered a Romar/Cugir 7.62 caliber rifle and three extended magazines hidden under the mattress. Damion White admitted to recent firearm possession and acknowledged being under indictment in a separate felony marijuana case. The combination of sex trafficking and illegal firearms underscores the dangerous nature of this criminal network.
The North Texas Trafficking Taskforce, comprised of the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Dallas Police Department, brought this case to light. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cara Foos Pierce prosecuted the case, securing a significant sentence for Damion White and sending a clear message that such predatory behavior will not be tolerated. While justice has been served in this case, the fight against human trafficking continues. The victim was rescued from a motel on July 22, 2013, but the scars of this exploitation will likely remain.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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