A ruthless sex trafficker has been brought to justice in a federal court in Miami, Florida. Richard Rodriguez Gray, 34, of Overtown, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor.
The heinous crime took place on November 28, 2017, when Gray posted an advertisement on www.backpage.com, in the South Escort section of the South Florida Adult Entertainment portion of the website. The advertisement included two, clothed pictures of a 16-year-old minor victim and provided contact information for Gray.
On or about December 7, 2017, law enforcement, in an undercover capacity, responded to the advertisement by sending text messages to the telephone number that Gray posted. Gray and the undercover agent agreed that the minor victim would have sex with the undercover agent for one hour for approximately $250. Gray and the undercover agent further agreed that the undercover agent could meet the minor victim in a motel room in Miami, Florida.
On December 8, 2017, at approximately 1:00 a.m., Gray and the minor victim arrived at the motel, where law enforcement was waiting to recover the minor. Gray had escorted the minor victim to the hotel to engage in prostitution. Gray was taken into custody at the hotel.
Gray previously pled guilty to sex trafficking a minor. U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez of the Southern District of Florida sentenced Gray to 15 years in prison, 25 years of supervised release, and sex offender conditions, including compliance with the Adam Walsh Act requirement that Gray register as a sex offender for life.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes.
This sentence brings an end to a long and grueling investigation by the FBI and the Miami-Dade Police Department. The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and the Miami-Dade Police Department worked tirelessly to bring Gray to justice, and their dedication to this matter is commendable.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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