Katie 
On Wednesday, January 27, 33-year-old Anthony Lennell Acy was charged in federal court with one count of child sex trafficking. He appeared in court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford.
According to the criminal complaint filed against Acy, he is accused of trafficking at least two women, including a 14-year-old girl identified only as Jane Doe, out of a hotel near the Lyndon B Johnson Freeway in Dallas, Texas.
A joint operation between the North Texas Trafficking Taskforce, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations resulted in Acy being arrested as he exited the hotel room. Inside that room, Jane Doe was recovered and immediately taken to the Dallas Child Advocacy Center.
Jane Doe told investigators that she had been forced into sex trafficking and had to earn $1,000 a day, turning all proceeds over to Acy. She further told investigators that Acy had physically assaulted her on "multiple occasions" as well as deprived her of food and shelter.
At the time of his arrest, Acy was out on bond for a state trafficking charge that had been filed against him in Travis County according to the statement issued by the Department of Justice.
If convicted on the charge of child sex trafficking, he faces up to life in federal prison.
“Child sex trafficking is one of the most vile crimes we see in north Texas. This defendant allegedly used and abused a middle-school-aged child for monetary gain,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “We are thankful that the North Texas Trafficking Task Force was able to not only apprehend the perpetrator, but also recover the victim and get her to safety.”
“Apprehending human traffickers that take advantage of our most vulnerable and rescuing those exploited will always be a top priority for HSI,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge HSI Dallas. “We will go to no end to combat the scourge that is human trafficking and the members of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force will never relent until every trafficker is behind bars and every victim is rescued.”
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, the National Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached 24/7 at (888) 373-7888 or by texting 233733.
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