A Las Vegas man who took a 17-year-old girl across state lines to San Diego in order to prostitute her was sentenced Monday to six years in prison.
Samaje Evans, 27, advertised the unidentified teen online for commercial sex acts and brought her from Arizona to Nevada to San Diego for that purpose, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In April of 2021, Evans and the girl were found by law enforcement at a San Diego hotel following an alert that went out from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a teenage girl believed to be involved in commercial sex in Texas, Arizona, Nevada and San Diego.
A search of the teen's phone uncovered messages from Evans in which he directed her to collect money from customers for sex, according to prosecutors, who said the phone also contained photos that were used for the commercial sex ads.
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“Evans’ exploitation of a minor is reprehensible,” Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy said in a news release issued on Monday. “The FBI will never stop fighting for minors who are victimized by criminals who care more about money than people. We appreciate the collaboration of our partners at the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for working closely with us to ensure justice is served and victims receive all the resources they need.”
Evans took all of the money the minor earned for those acts, according to his plea agreement. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of coercion and enticement, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
The City News Service contributed to this report — Ed.
