8 men arrested in North Texas on federal child sex trafficking charges

FORT WORTH, Texas — Eight men are in federal custody on sex trafficking of children charges outlined in a federal criminal complaint filed last week, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

This case is being investigated by the following agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), FBI, and the Texas police departments of Fort Worth, Tyler and Arlington.

The following individuals were charged and made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton.  They have been remanded to custody pending additional court hearings.

• Pierre Lagrone, aka “P” or “Pedro,” 33;
• Robert Roseberry, aka “King Rose,” 29;
• Herman Sanders, aka “Pooh,” 29;
• Reginald Smith, aka “Green Light,” 28;
• Demarcus Davis, aka “Zigg,” 25;
• Kentrell Davis, aka “Zeal,” 24;
• Cederrick Clarkson, aka “Ced” or “Spazz,” 25; and
• Terroderick Watts, aka “Silk,” 27.

According to the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, in March 2017, Fort Worth Police Department’s VICE Unit conducted a recovery operation in response to a lead sent from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in reference to a suspected victim of Child Sex Trafficking.  Fort Worth VICE Unit located and utilized a Backpage.com ad containing photographs of a minor female, Jane Doe 1, that advertised commercial sex acts.  As a result of the operation, Jane Doe 1 was recovered.  Additionally, two other minor females, Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3, were also located in a closet located in Jane Doe 1’s hotel room at the time she was recovered.  These three females, and others, were victims of a child sex trafficking organization.  Lagrone, Roseberry, Sanders, Smith, D. Davis, K. Davis, Clarkson and Watts were members of that organization and recruited, advertised and sold several women, both adults and underage for the purpose of commercial sex.  

The affidavit also alleges that the eight suspects:

• frequently worked together as an organization by utilizing some of the same underage and adult female victims to engage in commercial sex acts;
• operated out of the same hotels while engaging in a commercial sex enterprise;
• transported female victims for the purpose of commercial sex acts;
• used and shared cellphones that were used to post ads for commercial sex on Backpage.com;
• taking photographs of female victims either nude or in their underwear that were used in Backpage.com ads for commercial sex; and
• obtained hotel rooms that were used to engage in commercial sex activities. 

The defendants were also frequently violent if the females angered them or did not follow their directions.

A complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge.  A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.  The government has 30 days to present the matter to a grand jury for indictment.  The maximum statutory penalty for the offense as charged is life in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl, Northern District of Texas, is in charge of the prosecution.