20-05-2025
East Texas man found guilty after sex trafficking young women using social media
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – An East Texas man has been found guilty of 8 federal sex trafficking violations on Monday, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas Abe McGlothin, Jr. said in a press release.
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Corey Lamar Johnson, 42 of Jefferson, had a six-day trial in the court of U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker before the jury returned its verdict. Johnson was found guilty and convicted of:
Two counts of sex trafficking
Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking
Obstructing a sex trafficking investigation
three counts of interstate transportation for prostitution purposes and
conspiring to violate the Travel Act.
'The defendant used violence and threats of violence to compel his victims to engage in commercial sex for his profit,' Assistant Attorney General with the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon said. 'There is no place in a civilized society for the defendant's inhumane conduct, and the Justice Department is committed to punishing human trafficking and achieving justice for its victims.'
Johnson was one of three conspirators named in a federal grand jury indictment on June 15, 2023, which charged him and the others with sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking, transportation, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to violate the Travel Act.
Prosecutors in Johnson's trial presented evidence to show that Johnson was trafficking young women from across the United States to coerce them into commercial sex through force, threats and fraud.
'Johnson recruited vulnerable, young women through social media posts that boasted of his lavish lifestyle. He promised the victims he recruited that they could also achieve such a lifestyle,' McGlothlin's press release said. 'Once they were recruited, Johnson introduced the victims to commercial sex, and when the victims wanted to leave him, he became violent, using force and threats, brandishing firearms, and bragging about having 'beat' a murder charge, all to keep the victims engaged in commercial sex for his profit.'
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Johnson faces a minimum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of life in federal prison once he's sentenced. The case against Johnson was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division, the Canton Police Department, the Chandler Police Department, the Arlington Police Department and the Bossier City Police Department.
'Congratulations to the team who brought Corey Johnson to a well-deserved appointment with justice,' said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. 'For far too long, the defendant treated vulnerable, young women in ways no person should ever be treated, but today justice was served. There is no more important work for the U.S. Attorney's Office than to rescue the oppressed and protect those who cannot protect themselves.'
Anyone with information about human trafficking is asked to report what they know to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free by calling 1-888-373-7888 or by visiting the National Human Trafficking Hotline online.
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