Two Sentenced in Child Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

FORT WORTH, Texas — Audry Lane, a/k/a “Spud,” 29 and Alvin Lane, a/k/a “Spank,” 32, have been sentenced for their roles in a child sex trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Audry Lane, appeared before U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor this morning and was sentenced 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, 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 defendants will be required to register as a sex offender.

According to documents filed in the case, in November 2015, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) learned that a 16-year-old runaway, Jane Doe 1, was being trafficked by a group of people in Fort Worth, Texas; that group included the defendants. The investigation revealed that from approximately October 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 member 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 advertisements 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 advertisements using Backpage.com accounts belonging to the Arnolds.

For instance, on approximately 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 approximately October 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 the 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 would have 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.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cara Foos Pierce prosecuted.

# # #