A Detroit man was convicted by a federal jury Wednesday on charges of sex trafficking three minor victims by using coercion and force, including beating one with a metal broomstick when she disobeyed his rules.
Willie Curry, 36, was convicted after a two-week jury trial before United States District Judge Denise Page Hood, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced in a press release.
Curry was also convicted of producing child pornography depicting the victims, and illegally possessing a firearm.
Prosecutors said Curry found his 15 and 16-year-old victims in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, after they had run away from a residence where they had been placed by a juvenile court.
Curry convinced the victims to come to Detroit by promising them new clothes, cell phones and offering to take care of them.
Once in Detroit, however, Curry used physical violence and threats to control his victims, took explicit photographs of them, and then used the photographs in advertisements for commercial sex acts with the victims.
When one of the victims refused to comply with Curry's demands to engage in sex acts with strangers for money, he raped her, according to the press release. The next day, the victim climbed out of the bathroom window and fled from the home.
The girl ran to a nearby gas station, where she approached a woman and asked for help.
The woman called the girl's father, who immediately started driving toward them and the woman returned the girl to her father near Lansing.
The girl was then interviewed by the Michigan State Police, providing them information that led to the rescue of the other two victims from Curry's home.
"This defendant preyed on young, vulnerable victims, using false promises, threats and violence to compel them to engage in sex acts for his own profit," said U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade. "Sex traffickers like this one treat human beings like commodities to be traded for cash."
Curry is facing 15 years to life in prison. He will be sentenced Dec. 9.
