A Grand Prairie man was convicted yesterday of trafficking a 16-year-old girl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
After a two-day trial, a federal jury in Dallas on Tuesday convicted 37-year-old Howard Sandford Williams of sex trafficking of a child.
“This defendant exploited a vulnerable teenager he found online,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “Far too often, traffickers target struggling women and girls, claiming that they can help. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and HSI are committed to fighting the scourge of trafficking, and to getting justice for the victims of this horrific crime.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Williams first contacted 16-year-old Jane Doe through Tagged, a dating app, after he viewed a live video of her venting about conflict within her family.
Mr. Williams checked Jane Doe into a hotel room in Irving, where he provided her with drugs and alcohol, had sex with her, and took photographs of her. He then posted those photographs online in commercial sex advertisements. Through the advertisements, Mr. Williams arranged for adult customers to go to Jane Doe’s hotel room for commercial sex; he also drove Jane Doe to adult customers for commercial sex.
Mr. Williams now faces up to life in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Irving Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Hammond and John de la Garza are prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle presided over the trial.
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