A Sacramento man, Darell Davis, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $9,950 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion. The sentencing took place in San Diego federal court.
Davis admitted that between December 15, 2022, and January 11, 2023, he transported an 18-year-old woman from Sacramento to San Diego for the purpose of selling her body for his financial gain. According to court documents, Davis created commercial sex advertisements featuring the victim on an adult website and maintained a ledger tracking her prostitution earnings as well as those of at least two other women under his control. He also kept notes on various locations used for street-based prostitution.
The case came to light when the victim contacted the San Diego Police Department on January 10, 2025. She identified Davis by his alias “Benzo” and described how she met him at age 17 and was introduced into prostitution. She stated that Davis set strict rules and daily quotas for her earnings, made her work up to six days a week for long hours, tracked her location electronically through an app, and took all of her earnings. The victim also reported physical abuse and said she feared Davis because he possessed a handgun.
Law enforcement arrested Davis outside a hotel in Chula Vista on January 11, 2023. A search of his hotel room led investigators to recover a loaded non-serialized handgun and ammunition.
“The smiles in online ads are a mask,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Behind the misleading photos are coerced victims being controlled, threatened and abused while traffickers cash in. This is exploitation at its ugliest; victims treated as a disposable product, not human beings.”
Attorney General Bonta commented: “Sex trafficking through force, fraud or coercion is a terrible crime that has no place in California. The California Department of Justice-led San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force is committed to putting a stop to human trafficking, and to holding accountable those who prey on Californians for their own financial gain. I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners for their collaboration, and to the U.S. Attorney’s office for their work to prosecute this case. When we work together, we get results.”
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Ko and Lyndzie M. Carter.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (SDHTTF), San Diego Police Department, San Diego County District Attorney Office, Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Diego.
The SDHTTF brings together state agencies such as the California Department of Justice with local law enforcement like National City Police Department and federal partners including Homeland Security Investigations and Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
This case was part of ongoing efforts by the Special Victims Unit (SVU), established in April 2025 to lead collaborations between federal and local authorities targeting sex trafficking cases as well as child exploitation crimes within the Southern District of California.
Anyone experiencing or suspecting human trafficking can call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s hotline at (888) 373-7888 or text BeFree or 233733 for assistance.
