Derek Lamont Terry, Sex Trafficking of Children, AZ 2023

TUCSON, Ariz. — Derek Lamont Terry, 29, of Colton, Calif., was sentenced last week to 240 months in federal prison for sex trafficking of children and two counts of transporting minors with intent to engage in prostitution. U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson handed down the sentence, calling Terry a predator who exploited vulnerable teenage girls for profit.

The investigation revealed Terry orchestrated a cross-state trafficking ring between January and April 2016, moving a minor female victim repeatedly between Arizona and California. Online escort ads were posted in both states advertising the victim’s services. The operation unraveled in April 2016 when law enforcement rescued the girl during an undercover sting.

Within weeks of the first victim’s rescue, Terry recruited a second minor, transporting her from California through Arizona and into Texas before returning to Arizona. Ads for her services appeared in California, Arizona, and Texas. On June 8, 2016, Arizona Department of Public Safety officers stopped Terry near Benson, Ariz., during a routine traffic stop and discovered the underage girl with him.

Judge Jorgenson didn’t mince words at sentencing. “I see you as a predator of these young teenaged girls,” she told Terry, emphasizing the predatory nature and calculated movement of victims across state lines to evade detection. The 20-year sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and the lasting harm inflicted on the victims.

Upon completion of his prison term, Terry will be released under lifetime supervised probation and will be required to register as a sex offender. Federal authorities say the case underscores the role of online platforms in facilitating the exploitation of minors and the need for interagency coordination to dismantle trafficking networks.

The investigation was a joint effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Tempe Police Department, with support from Arizona State University. Prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arturo Aguilar and Karen Rolley in Tucson, and Margaret Perlmeter in Phoenix. Case numbers: 16-CR-1350-TUC-CJK-1; 16-CR-1375-PHX-CJK-1. Release number: 2018-014_Terry.