A sex trafficking case from 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. 1 source on file.
This page describes exploitation and abuse. Need to report something? How to report →
Online sex trafficking operation advertised victims on commercial sex websites. Victims moved between cities Accused: Multi-person trafficking organization.
FBI and local police sting. Federal indictments under TVPA. National Human Trafficking Hotline referrals.
United States US
The Nashville Police Department originally prosecuted the case under the first use of the state's anti-trafficking law. The district attorney, seemingly less interested in prosecuting the case, played softball with the accused traffickers and what should have been an 8-year sentence for trafficking sex victims across Florida, Georgia and Tennessee state lines. The traffickers ended up with 6 months and are likely to be deported by ICE.
United States US
A woman picked up as part of a Metro police internet prostitution sting claims a south Nashville man coerced her into prostituting herself. The 22 year old victim told police that she met Donnell Minor, 34,in the University Court area of the Tony Sudekum public housing development. She said that the suspect paid the victim's sister $150 to watch her two children and promised to take her to Miami. Instead of Miami, the suspect allegedly took her to a Harding Place motel, told her that she now worked for him, and that he intended to advertise her services on the Internet, according to police. Police said the victim told them she went along due to threats and the fact that Minor knew where she lived.
United States US
Prontiss Houseworth, 18, of Conyers, Georgia was arrrested Friday August 26, 2011 at the Knights Inn on Spring Street in Nashville, TN and charged with four counts of trafficking for sexual servitude, one count of promoting prostitution and a weapon charge for allegedly carrying brass knuckles. Police found four young women — two 18-year-olds, a 23-year-old and a 24-year-old — with Houseworth but consider them victims in Houseworth’s alleged crimes. According to police, the man forced the women to travel with him from Atlanta to Nashville where an undercover officer, responding to the online ad, met two of the women at the motel and made a deal to have sex with them for $180 plus a $20 tip. One of the alleged victims told police Houseworth threatened to kill the women and their families if the women didn’t cooperate with him, calling them “slaves” and saying “the only way that they could leave was in a body bag,” according to a police affidavit. One of the women also allegedly told police Houseworth punched her in the head and duct-taped her hands together and her mouth shut.