Federal jury convicts Dallas man of sex trafficking after victim escapes in 2024
A guard tower and razor wire at a prison in Texas. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
DALLAS - A federal jury in the District of Columbia has convicted a 38-year-old Dallas man of sex trafficking and other federal charges following a trial that detailed years of physical abuse, isolation, and exploitation.
Dallas man convicted of sex trafficking
What we know:
Devontee Parker was found guilty Wednesday of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, interstate transportation for the purpose of prostitution, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering, the U.S. Justice Department announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Parker met the victim in 2021 while she was experiencing housing and financial instability and grieving a family member's death. Prosecutors said Parker lured her to Texas under the guise of support, then forced her into commercial sex.
Evidence showed Parker advertised the victim online, set prices, and drove her to sex buyers across multiple states and the District of Columbia. He controlled her access to food and money, demanded she turn over all earnings, and enforced strict daily quotas.
The victim testified that Parker subjected her to brutal physical abuse, including strangling her until she lost consciousness and giving her a black eye. Prosecutors said Parker also monitored her phone, cut off her contact with friends, and supplied her with drugs such as cocaine while forcing her to engage in commercial sex.
The victim ultimately escaped in 2024 when Parker was arrested on state prostitution-related charges.
What they're saying:
"Devontee Parker trafficked vulnerable women by intimidating them with physical violence to make money," Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in a statement. "The courage of the victim resulted in compelling testimony that secured this important conviction."
Parker was also indicted in Texas in August 2026 on separate sex trafficking charges involving additional victims.
What's next:
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2027. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Department of Justice