TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Last week, three men were sentenced following their guilty pleas to crimes involving the victimization of a child. George Williams, 44, of Perry, Florida, was sentenced to 180 months federal prison for coercing or enticing a minor to engage in prostitution and attempted production of child pornography. Durrell Johnson, 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 235 months federal prison for coercing or enticing a minor to engage in prostitution and receipt of child pornography. Joshua Curry, 34, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 324 months federal prison for conspiracy to sex trafficking a minor and two counts of sex trafficking of a minor. The sentences were announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“These convictions demonstrate the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Through concerted efforts like Operation Stolen Innocence we will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who prey upon our children.”
“Operation Stolen Innocence represents the strong partnership between HSI and Tallahassee PD, combining law enforcement efforts and expertise to ensure the safety of children and to combat child exploitation,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “The sentencings of these child predators hold them accountable for targeting our most vulnerable.”
Williams’ prison sentence will be followed by a Lifetime of supervised release, and he will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to sex offender conditions. Johnson and Curry’s prison sentence will be followed by ten years supervised release and both will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to sex offender conditions.
“We are grateful to see justice prevail for the victim in this case,” said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “These sentences are a testament to the judicial systems’ tireless efforts to hold accountable those who break the law and reiterate to the community that human trafficking will not be tolerated.”
The convictions were the result of a collaborative investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations as part of Operation Stolen Innocence, a multi-agency coordinated effort by the United States Marshals Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Office of the State Attorney, Second Judicial Circuit to combat human trafficking in the Tallahassee area. First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven prosecuted the cases.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.