2024-02-03 11:09:17
A Detroit man was convicted by a federal jury this week, accused of sex trafficking a minor and producing child pornography.
Lavonte Sampson, 39, is to be sentenced May 8 in U.S. District Court, according to federal court records. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release that he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of up to life in prison.
Sampson was convicted following a five-day trial. The jury deliberated regarding two hours before returning its verdict, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office release. Federal court records indicate he was indicted in December 2021.
Rhonda Brazile, one of the attorneys representing Sampson, declined to comment Friday as the case is ongoing.
The investigation began when the FBI’s Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force conducted an undercover operation to recover a missing 15-year-old girl, according to the release.
A search of her cellphone uncovered Facebook messages where Sampson recruited the girl to engage in commercial sex work. He was accused of taking pictures of her and advertising her online for commercial sex, according to federal prosecutors.
More: Feds: Man gets 15 years for trying to coerce boy to make sexually explicit images
Sampson took her to a motel in Detroit, where he arranged dates between her and other men and collected the proceeds. He also had sex with her, recorded it without her knowledge and sent the video recording to an undercover agent when arranging a date, according to the release.
“This defendant exploited a vulnerable child. He sold her body to other men for his own personal gain,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in the release. “Combatting human trafficking remains one of our office’s top priorities, especially when it involves children. We will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to battle the sexual exploitation of vulnerable victims in our communities and ensure that predators are held accountable.”
The FBI said if anyone has information on crimes of this nature, to contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THELOST or online at report.cybertip.org.
If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect you know one, call the FBI, local law enforcement or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.
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