Human Trafficking A Child In Tampa Lands Texas Man In Prison

TAMPA, FL —A Houston, Texas, man has been sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for sex trafficking a child in Tampa.

U.S. District Judge Scrivensentenced Jamel Muldrew, 34, on charges of sex trafficking a minor, enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of racketeering and interstate transportation of a person for prostitution.

As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Muldrew to pay $27,740 in restitution to the victim, to forfeit electronic devices used in the crime, and to register as a sex offender.

Muldrew pleaded guilty on March 10.

According to court documents, on April 9, 2021, law enforcement coordinated an operation in Tampa to identify and rescue human trafficking victims and arrest their traffickers.

As part of this operation, an undercover officer arranged to pay the minor $800 to have sex at a Tampa hotel. According to court records, Muldrew was arrested when he drove the child to the hotel.

During the arrest, officers recovered multiple fake identity cards on Muldrew for both himself and the child.

The investigation showed that Muldrew had been trafficking the child across the country, including in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida, where he was ultimately arrested.

“This heinous predator trafficked his minor victim around the country to engage in prostitution, including in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt of Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa.

“The success of this investigation is a direct result of the outstanding law enforcement partnerships we have with the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force, including the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston (Texas) Police Department, as well as non-governmental organizations such as Selah Freedom," Pagitt said.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department.

The Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force of the Middle District of Florida is one of 13 task forces in the country to receive grant funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.