A 28-year-old DeKalb County man has been slammed with a 25-year sentence after pleading guilty to trafficking a 16-year-old girl for sex. Trayon Moore, a resident of Stone Mountain, will face the music with a decade and a half behind bars and the rest on probation after exploiting the teen out of a Tucker hotel, as per reports by the Georgia Attorney General's office.
Moore, who made no fight in court, copped to two counts of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude. His guilty plea was part of a tragic tale dating back to February 2020 when the girl was reported missing for a duration of six weeks. According to a statement obtained by Atlanta News First, the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit tracked her down to the hotel where she was being held, signaling an end to her ordeal.
In a clear message to traffickers everywhere, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr stated, "With each new conviction, we’re sending a strong message to buyers and sellers that you will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Carr didn't mince words about the ongoing fight against human trafficking, vowing, "We will never stop fighting to end human trafficking in our state," as reported by 11Alive.
Last year, Carr's office was involved in the investigation of 81 trafficking cases, which led to the recovery of 129 victims. Moore's conviction adds to a growing list as the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has bagged 30 new convictions since January 2023. Currently, there are 38 defendants who are under indictment for sex or labor trafficking across Georgia, some facing the music in multiple jurisdictions.
For those who fear that someone may be a victim of human trafficking, the call to action is clear: notify local law enforcement or dial up the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888. An individual's vigilance could spell the difference between continued exploitation and freedom for some of the most vulnerable members of society.
