A would-be child sex trafficker was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Gary Jordan, 23, pleaded guilty in March to one count of attempted child sex trafficking. He was sentenced Wednesday to 121 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr.
“This defendant trawled social media, prepared to use a combination of flattery and threats to lure teenage girls into commercial sex. Fortunately, the “child” on whom he chose to prey was an undercover agent – but it could have been an actual teen,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Unfortunately, evil lurks on the internet. Parents and guardians, please keep an eye on your children’s social media activity and report any concerns to law enforcement immediately. Child sex trafficking is all too real. We can only prevent it by working together.”
According to court documents, on Aug. 3, 2020, Mr. Jordan initiated a social media conversation with an account he believed belonged to a 16-year-old girl. In actuality, the account was run by an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent.
During their conversations, Mr. Jordan offered to teach the child the commercial sex “game” and claimed she could earn “50k in a week.” He told her he had been involved in the commercial sex business for five years, adding that he charged a $10,000 upfront fee but would waive it for her because “I see yo worth.”
When he learned she was only 16, he offered to help her obtain a fake ID and fly her out to Fort Lauderdale. (He later changed his mind and decided to pick her up in Dallas.)
He instructed the child to send him a sexually explicit photo. When she hesitated, saying she was afraid her guardian would find out, he told her she was “not going back home.”
“Don’t think u going anywhere cause ur not,” he wrote, later stating, “I’m looking for a trap rn [right now].”
He also asked her to send a photo to prove she was not a law enforcement officer.
The child confided in him that intercourse had been painful for her in the past, and he said he would have sex with her himself before selling her body to other men. He promised to take her shopping, saying she would look “sexy” in the clothing he planned to buy her.
Eventually, he sent an uber to an address she provided to transport her to his hotel room in Dallas.
Agents arrested him inside the hotel room around 2 p.m. on Aug. 4, 2020. They forced their way into the room after hearing him attempt to open the window. He was at the foot of the bed, clad only in underpants.
In plea papers, Mr. Jordan admitted that he was aware of the purported child’s status as a juvenile and that he attempted to entice her.
Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Renee Hunter, Rebekah Ricketts (fmr.) and Melanie Smith (fmr.) prosecuted the case.