Ferndale man gets over 15 years in prison for sex trafficking children
FERNDALE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A Ferndale man has been sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison in connection to the sex trafficking of children and Metro Detroit motels, officials said.
Toriano Davis, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of sex trafficking a minor in February 2023.
Authorities began investigating Davis in late 2020 when they were trying to find two minor females who had run away from the Lansing area.
A relative of one of the minors told authorities they feared the minors were being trafficked in Metro Detroit.
Officials say the two minors were found in a motel room in Southfield in December 2020. They located Davis in a motel in Roseville.
"In the room with Davis was a nude 15-year-old girl," U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison said. "Additional investigation uncovered that Davis had trafficked at least two minor victims, had rented motel rooms for them to engage in commercial sex, and had assisted them with advertising online for commercial sex dates. Davis also took proceeds from the minors' commercial sex dates for his own use, including to purchase drugs and to rent expensive cars. Davis also had sex with the minors and had recorded himself having sex with one of the minors on a cellular phone."
Authorities say the sex trafficking occurred while Davis was on bond from a federal drug case in North Dakota.
"The sexual abuse and trafficking of children is a scourge on our community that leaves an indelible mark on victims," said U.S. Attorney Ison. "The video recording of that abuse only perpetuates the abuse. This defendant committed these heinous acts while on bond in a federal drug case. The lengthy sentence imposed today will protect the public from this defendant and help keep our community safe for children."
