Demecia Shontres Washington, a 42-year-old woman from Dallas, Texas, was sentenced yesterday to 18 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for orchestrating a child sex trafficking ring that spanned Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada. The grim details of her crimes, laid bare during a six-day jury trial in May 2021, reveal a calculated effort to exploit a minor for profit and sexual gratification across state lines.
Washington was convicted on seven counts including: conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking, conspiracy to transport for prostitution or other criminal sexual activity, transportation for prostitution or other criminal sexual activity, conspiracy to sexually exploit children, sexual exploitation of children, and distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon, who presided over both the trial and sentencing, handed down the maximum penalty under federal guidelines, underscoring the severity of Washington’s predatory conduct.
Court documents show that between August and September 2018, Washington conspired with Jimmy David Washington Jr., 36, of Lubbock, Texas, to recruit, coerce, and transport a minor child for commercial sex acts. The pair drove the victim from Texas into New Mexico and eventually to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she was forced into prostitution. During the same period, they produced and distributed child pornography of the victim, deepening the trauma inflicted on the young survivor.
Jimmy Washington Jr. previously pleaded guilty to transporting a minor for purposes of prostitution. In April 2021, he was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Prosecutors emphasized that the partnership between the two defendants was not impulsive but part of a coordinated, predatory scheme that preyed on the vulnerability of children.
“This conviction and sentence demonstrates our office’s and our law enforcement partners’ unwavering commitment to combating sex trafficking and child exploitation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada. “Through our ongoing collaboration and expanded partnerships, we will keep working to hold accountable in federal court those who use fraud, force, or other illicit means to victimize children.”
“This sentencing is a success in the fight against those who exploit the vulnerable and illustrates our dedication to bring these criminals to justice,” said Aaron C. Rouse, FBI Las Vegas Special Agent in Charge. The case was investigated by the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Burton, Bianca Pucci, and Elham Roohani. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation nationwide.
Related Federal Cases
- Demecia Washington Gets 18 Years for Child Sex Trafficking · Texas
- Robert Ryan Powell Gets 16+ Years for Sex Trafficking · New Mexico
- Tyrone Larry Smith, Lacoya Washington Sentenced in Minor Sex Trafficking Case · Washington
- Cordny Henry Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking in NM · New Mexico
- Live Nation Faces Trial Over Monopoly Practices · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Nevada
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Human TraffickingHuman TraffickingHuman TraffickingHuman Trafficking