Texas Man Receives Seven Life Sentences for Child Sex Trafficking

Michael Allen Reams, a registered sexual predator from Tavares, Florida, was found guilty of multiple charges including trafficking heroin and fentanyl, using a child to traffic narcotics, and child neglect, facing a potential life sentence. In East Texas, Desnique Deshawn Herndon was sentenced to seven life sentences for sex trafficking multiple teenage girls, some as young as 13, whom he recruited via social media and exploited in commercial sex acts. Herndon managed the trafficking operation by placing victims in hotels and advertising them on sex trafficking websites, continuing his criminal enterprise through co-conspirators while in jail. His co-conspirators Malcolm Kadeem Roberts, Tavarus Watkins, and Patrick Lamont Cross Jr. have also received significant prison sentences for their roles in the trafficking scheme. Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs condemned the trafficking crimes as reprehensible and emphasized the commitment of law enforcement to prosecuting these violations vigorously. The cases highlight ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation and trafficking, with severe penalties imposed to deter such crimes.