2 men sentenced in North Texas to lengthy federal prison terms for their roles in a child sex-trafficking conspiracy

FORT WORTH, Texas — Two men were sentenced recently for their roles in a child sex-trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Fort Worth Police Department.

Audry Lane, aka “Spud,” 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 280 months in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of children in November 2016.

Alvin Lane, aka “Spank,” 32, appeared before U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor last week and was sentenced to 166 months in federal prison. He also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of children in October 2016.

Both men must also register as sex offenders.

According to documents filed in the case, in November 2015, HSI learned that a 16-year-old runaway, Jane Doe 1, was being trafficked by a group of people in Fort Worth; that group included the two defendants. The investigation revealed that from about Oct. 1, 2013, through April 16, 2016, the members of this group facilitated the commercial sex acts of several minor and adult females.

Audry Lane and Alvin Lane, along with co-conspirators Diwone Nobles, Deon Bonner, Chad Johnson, Katelyn Ward and Stanley Johnson, acted as pimps for the girls and women they trafficked.  They instructed them on how much to charge and they kept proceeds from transactions. They also provided the girls and women with condoms, cellular phones and hotel rooms.  Some of the members of the group bought and sold the girls and women they were trafficking amongst themselves.

To locate commercial sex customers, Nobles, Bonner, Chad Johnson, Stanley Johnson, Katelyn Ward, Audry Lane and Alvin Lane facilitated the placement of ads on various commercial websites, including Backpage.com. In many instances, rather than placing the Backpage.com advertisement themselves, co-conspirators and sisters Serrah Arnold and/or Jessica Arnold, who acted as “bottom girls,” were told to post the ads using Backpage.com accounts belonging to the Arnolds.

For instance, on June 1, 2013, 17-year-old Jane Doe 4 was introduced to Audry Lane, Serrah and Jessica Arnold, and Alvin Lane by a family friend of the Arnolds, co-defendant Katelyn Ward.  Ward asked the Lanes and Arnolds to teach Jane Doe 4 how to engage in commercial sex acts. Serrah and Jessica Arnold explained to Jane Doe 4 about Backpage.com and how to talk to commercial sex customers. Ward, along with Audry Lane, and later Alvin Lane, acted as Jane Doe 4’s pimp at various times between 2013 and 2015. Audry Lane knew she was 17 when he began facilitating her commercial sex acts, and he kept the proceeds she earned. Various members of the group posted Jane Doe 4 on Backpage.com and facilitated her commercial sex acts.

On Oct. 10, 2015, friends Deon Bonner and Stanley Johnson met 17-year-old Jane Doe 2 and her 16-year-old friend Jane Doe 1 in Fort Worth. They took the girls to a motel on Meacham Street in Fort Worth. Shortly thereafter, Stanley Johnson told Jane Doe 2 that he wanted her to engage in commercial sex acts, and he sought help from Audry Lane and Alvin Lane to post commercial sex ads for her on Backpage.com. Stanley Johnson told Jane Doe 2 how much to charge and he bought condoms for her; he also kept the money she made from engaging in commercial sex acts.

According to documents filed in this case, one adult, female victim engaged in commercial sex acts at the direction of Nobles, Chad Johnson, Audry Lane, and Serrah Arnold. While that victim worked at Audry Lane’s direction, he had Serrah Arnold, his “bottom girl,” supervise the victim and take the money she received. Nobles, Johnson and Lane all used force, fraud and/or coercion to cause the victim to engage in commercial sex acts.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cara Foos Pierce, Northern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.