Three individuals have been indicted on federal charges related to the sex trafficking of a minor in Maryland.
Michael Andrew Davila, 26, of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, Elsie Liseth Pazmino, 28, also of Berwyn Heights, and John David Hamlett, 32, of Laurel, Maryland, were charged with conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking of a minor, and transportation of a minor for prostitution.
According to the indictment, between January and March 2015, Davila, Pazmino, and Hamlett conspired to have a minor, under the age of 18, engage in commercial sex acts.
The indictment alleges that Davila enticed the victim to engage in prostitution and created and posted advertisements on the Internet that advertised the victim for prostitution.
The advertisements used a false name and age for the victim and included pictures of another female, not the victim. Davila and Pazmino allegedly answered text messages and calls from clients seeking to engage in sexual acts with the victim and arranged ‘dates’ for the victim with those clients.
The defendants allegedly transported the victim to locations within and outside Maryland to engage in prostitution and benefited financially from the proceeds of the victim’s prostitution.
The defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Davila, Pazmino, and Hamlett were previously charged by criminal complaint. After an initial appearance on the charges in the criminal complaint, Davila and Hamlett were ordered to be detained and Pazmino was released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.
No date has been set for the defendants’ initial appearance and arraignment on the indictment.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force, created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from 10 state and federal law enforcement agencies.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their assistance.
Related Federal Cases
- Robert Downing, Sex Trafficking, Baltimore MD, 2023 · New Jersey
- Marcus Deshawn Wright Sentenced to Life Terms for Sex Trafficking o… · Maryland
- Nathan Bonds, Sex Trafficking of Juveniles, Seattle WA, 2023 · Maryland
- Reginald Irvin Sentenced to 15 Years for Sex Trafficking and Conspi… · Maryland
- Kuldip “Kelly” Singh Mahal, Attempting Sex with Minor, Surrey BC, 2023 · Maryland
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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