Nevada Man Sentenced for Bringing 17-Year-Old Girl to San Diego to Engage in Commercial Sex Acts

believed to be involved in commercial sex in Texas, Arizona, Nevada and San Diego. The NCMEC alert identified a possible sex trafficker and provided social media photographs of that individual.

On April 22, 2021, Task Force Officers from the SDHTTF located the minor and Evans at a San Diego hotel. Evans had checked into the room and was in possession of a card key to the room. A search of the minor’s phone revealed messages from Evans in which he directed her to collect money from sex customers and informed the minor she would have to pay a “fee” for not following the rules. The phone also contained photographs that were used in the commercial sex advertisements. Task Force Officers also located recent videos of Evans and the minor together in the hotel room in San Diego.

“Our office will do everything we can to protect children from being exploited and harmed by sex traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force for their excellent work on this case.

“Evans’ exploitation of a minor is reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “The FBI will never stop fighting for minors who are victimized by criminals who care more about money than people. We appreciate the collaboration of our partners at the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for working closely with us to ensure justice is served and victims receive all the resources they need.”

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 22cr01513-CAB

Samaje Evans                                                Age: 27                                    Las Vegas, NV

SUMMARY OF CHARGE

Coercion and Enticement – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2422(a) Maximum penalty: Life in Prison; $250,000 fine

AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation & The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section, which leads collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.