TAMPA — A 36-year-old Tampa man who used force, drugs and firearms to coerce three victims into commercial sexual activity has been sentenced to 33 years and 9 months in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced.
U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber imposed the sentence on Demontrae Fagan, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking on Feb. 5. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the case.
According to court documents, Fagan sex trafficked three victims in 2022 through means of force, threats of force and coercion. Fagan created advertisements on escort websites and scheduled dates for commercial sexual activity for one victim, then used that victim to recruit and manage two additional victims — encouraging them to cooperate and handling their advertisements and appointments.
Fagan collected the money the victims earned from sex acts. He physically abused the victims and provided them with drugs that affected their mental state, court records show. The victims knew Fagan to regularly carry firearms, which contributed to their fear of him and their compliance with commercial sexual activity.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry prosecuted the case.