2 north Texas men sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for sex trafficking

FORT WORTH, Texas — Two men from north Texas were each sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means to 15-years in federal prison, following their guilty pleas in July 2012 to sex trafficking charges.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the North Texas Trafficking Task Force, including the Arlington, Dallas and Fort Worth police departments. These sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

Craig Jerome Gadley Jr., 23, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking a minor. Joshua Alexander Smith, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. Both men are from Mansfield, Texas.

According to plea documents filed in this case, law enforcement learned in June 2011 that a 16-year-old girl, Jane Doe #1, had been working as a prostitute for Gadley, aka "Cjay the Don," in and around the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area. Jane Doe #1 met Gadley while she was working as a stripper at a night club in Fort Worth, Texas. He promised her that she could earn more money by working for him. Gadley gave Jane Doe #1 money and took her shopping. He told her he didn't care that she was only 16 years old, and that she owed him for the money he had provided her.

Gadley took photographs of Jane Doe #1 in lingerie and in the nude, and then posted ads of her on websites used to promote and advertise commercial prostitution. He drove her to hotel rooms in the DFW area, and directed her to have sex with men for money. Gadley took all of the proceeds, provided her with necessities such as food and clothing, and provided condoms and hotel rooms for her to use.

Another female, 19-year-old, Jane Doe #2, who worked as a prostitute for Smith, was arrested July 30, 2011 for prostitution after undercover officers who saw ads for her on the Internet arranged to meet her at a hotel in Arlington, Texas.

The plea documents state that Smith and Jane Doe #2 had dated until he convinced her that she could make a lot of money if she worked for him as a prostitute. She eventually agreed and began working for Smith in May 2011. He placed ads for Jane Doe #2 on websites that advertised prostitution and received all of the money she earned. He provided her necessities such as food, gas and clothing. He also provided her condoms and hotel rooms for her to use in the Fort Worth area.

Jane Doe #2 feared Smith. While working for him, he choked her, held her against a wall, poured drinks on her head, pulled her hair, and threatened to harm her. He kept pushing her to work longer hours and acquire more clients.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Wolfe, Northern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.