Flash Staff Report
November 12, 2021
HOUSTON — Two men are headed to federal prison after admitting to recruiting a Stephenville girl on social media and trafficking her for sex five years ago, according to acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery on Friday.
In 2017, two men drove from Houston to Stephenville and convinced a teenager to leave her home and come with them under the belief that one of the men was her boyfriend and they were in love, according to reports from the family. In reality, they kidnapped, drugged, assaulted, raped and sex trafficking the teen, court records state.
While law enforcement searched for the teen, so did her mother, who went so far as creating fake social media profiles so that she could look for her daughter on sex trafficking sites. According to reports, if not for the mother’s tireless efforts, her daughter would not be free today and these men might not be facing justice.
Now, Demetrius Delaan White, 30, and Deonte Danquise Bailey-Roach, 28, who both pleaded guilty Jan. 27, will spend years behind bars. U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt sentenced White to 240 months, while Bailey-Roach received a 144-month-term of imprisonment Friday.
The following is from the statement released by the DOJ’s Southern District of Texas US Attorney’s Office:
The court considered statements from the minor victim and her mother detailing the lasting impact of the teenager’s victimization. Both will be ordered to pay restitution to the victim and serve an additional five years on supervised release following completion of the prison terms, during which time they will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict access to children and the internet. Both will also be ordered to register as sex offenders.
In 2017, White and Bailey-Roach recruited a troubled teenager on social media. They then brought her from her home in Stephenville to Houston to engage in commercial sex acts.
Over the next four days, they exploited the minor victim for their own sexual gratification and profit. They posted the minor victim on internet advertisements for commercial sex, during which time more than 300 people expressed interest. They rented motel rooms for the sex acts, drove her to clients’ homes and took her to a truck stop. They also had her walk on Bissonnet Street, an area commonly known for an open and rampant sex trade.
To induce the minor victim into continuing to engage in the activity, both men gave her drugs before the commercial sex acts. They also kept all the cash proceeds.
Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and the Houston Police Department (HPD), both part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA), conducted the investigation.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the HPD, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Coast Guard and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Suh and Sebastian Edwards are prosecuting the case.
While part of the sentence included each man pay restitution to the victim and her family. However, the victim’s mother stated, “There is no amount of money that could ever help undo the pain and suffering they have caused. I told the prosecution that I don’t want a dime from either of them. What I do want, is for them to have to pay whatever they owe each month to an organization that fights human trafficking and I want those donations to be in the name of my daughter. I want them to remember her name and I pray with all my heart that upon their release, they never put anyone else through this again.”
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