A Las Vegas man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for recruiting and enticing a 15-year-old girl to travel across state lines to work as a prostitute.
Deandre Maurice Parker, 27, was captured as part of "Operation Protect the Powerless" in 2014 and pleaded guilty in June to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
"Defendant sexually exploited and victimized a 15-year-old girl by transporting her to Las Vegas so that she could act as a prostitute," said U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden.
The 15-year-old victim initially met Parker in 2013 in San Bernardino, California. For several months, Parker stayed in touch with the victim through social media websites. In June 2014, the victim ran away from the group home where she resided and re-connected with Parker.
Parker recruited her to work as a prostitute, teaming her with another prostitute who worked for him to teach the girl the ropes. In August 2014, Parker moved the victim to Los Angeles to work as a prostitute, but when that did not prove to be profitable enough, Parker returned with the victim to San Bernardino and then to Las Vegas in September 2014 for prostitution.
Parker used the website Backpage.com to advertise the victim’s services as a prostitute. The victim was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detectives in October 2014 and agreed to cooperate with authorities.
Operation Protect the Powerless was organized and led by the Project Safe Childhood (PSC) Task Force in southern Nevada, and targeted child traffickers, persons who were coercing and enticing minors for sex, child pornographers, child molesters and child rapists.
Members of the PSC Task Force include the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Henderson Police Department, Clark County D.A.’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Allison L. Herr of the Nevada Attorney General’s Office.
Parker was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro.
PSC is a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. government to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Related Federal Cases
- Cordny Henry, Sex Trafficking of a Minor, New Mexico 2024 · Hawaii
- Brandon Denzel Washington, Sex Trafficking by Fraud and Coercion, Washington 2014 · Hawaii
- Robert Ryan Powell, Sex Trafficking of Minors and Adults, Washington 2016 · Colorado
- Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion, California 2020 · Hawaii
- Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, Sex and Labor Trafficking, California 2024 · Hawaii
Key Facts
- State: Nevada
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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