SEATTLE, WA – Dominique Terrel Gonzales, 35, will spend the next 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of sex trafficking a minor. The sentence, handed down Monday, also includes 15 years of supervised release. Gonzales, already in custody since August 2020 for illegal firearms possession, exploited a young woman, forcing her into commercial sex acts and reaping the financial benefits.
Court documents reveal Gonzales first targeted the victim when she was just 13 or 14 years old. The abuse escalated in July and August 2020, when the victim turned 17. Gonzales orchestrated her travel across state lines, setting up a location in a rented Portland, Oregon apartment where he forced her into sexual exploitation. He systematically collected the money earned from these acts and maintained control over the victim through a web of oppressive rules.
“For years this defendant used violence, threats, and emotional coercion to force vulnerable young women into having sex with strangers and giving their earnings to him,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. The investigation uncovered a pattern of horrific abuse; Gonzales physically assaulted the victim, verbally berated her, and even forced her to install tracking software on her phone, meticulously monitoring her every move. He funded a lavish lifestyle on the backs of his victim’s trauma.
The case, spearheaded by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with crucial assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Olympia Police Department, and several other agencies, exposed the extent of Gonzales’s control. Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy of HSI Seattle emphasized the collaborative effort, stating, “Today’s sentencing is a powerful reminder that those who prey on vulnerable children…will be held fully accountable.” A restitution hearing is scheduled for August 18th to determine compensation for the victim.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division underscored the severity of the crime, stating, “Predators who target and coerce the vulnerable face appropriately serious sanctions under federal law.” This conviction is a chilling reminder of the pervasive nature of human trafficking and the relentless exploitation of vulnerable individuals. The Justice Department promises continued aggressive prosecution of these cases.
The investigation wasn’t limited to Washington and Oregon; Idaho State Police, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and even the USDA-OIG contributed to building the case against Gonzales. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham and Trial Attorney Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit secured the conviction. Anyone with information about human trafficking is urged to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Human Trafficking|Sex Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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