A South L.A. trafficker who terrorized young women along the Figueroa Corridor is headed to state prison for nearly three decades, after prosecutors said he ran a violent commercial sex operation that left one victim permanently maimed.
Last Friday, a Los Angeles judge sentenced 26-year-old Derran Adkins to 28 years and eight months in state prison for trafficking a 17-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman, both forced into commercial sex along the corridor. Prosecutors said Adkins used beatings, burns and the mutilation of one victim’s hand to keep the women under his control.
According to a press release via the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Adkins pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Feb. 11, and was sentenced on Friday, Feb. 13. He admitted to one felony count of human trafficking of an adult and one felony count of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act, and prosecutors said he also admitted inflicting great bodily injury on both victims. The DA’s office noted that Adkins must register as a sex offender for life, and a restitution hearing is set for June 26 in Department 103 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
"A violent sex trafficker and modern-day enslaver has been taken off the streets," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement via the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Hochman praised prosecutors and the LAPD's South Bureau Human Trafficking Task Force for building the case against Adkins. Court records show the matter, filed as case 25CJCF00109, was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Emily Chai of the Sex Crimes Division's Human Sex Trafficking Section.
What He Was Convicted Of
Prosecutors said Adkins met the 17-year-old victim through social media and forced her into commercial sex in November 2024, while the 19-year-old worked for him from April 2024 through January 2025, as reported by CBS Los Angeles. Authorities allege Adkins took all of the victims' earnings and answered any attempt to flee with repeated physical assaults.
Allegations Of Violence
Prosecutors described a pattern of escalating brutality. According to local reporting via MyNewsLA, Adkins punched a victim in the face, burned one with a heated metal spoon, whipped another with a hanger and, in one instance, mutilated a girl's hand when she tried to escape. Those allegations formed a core part of the plea deal and were cited in support of the lengthy sentence imposed by the court.
Figueroa Corridor Crackdown
The case lands amid a broader multi-agency push on the Figueroa Corridor, an area long known to locals as a hub for street-level sex trafficking. The U.S. Department of Justice publicized a sweeping federal indictment tied to gang-linked trafficking in the area last year. Local coverage and community reporting, including a recent piece on the sex trade on the Blade, indicate the corridor remains a focus for coordinated enforcement and survivor outreach.
Next Steps And Support For Survivors
A restitution hearing for the victims is scheduled for June 26 in Department 103 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, local reporting notes. Survivors of trafficking can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or reach out to local trauma-informed resources such as the LA County DA's Bureau of Victim Services and community partners like Journey Out and Saving Innocence, which prosecutors have cited as part of their victim-services work.
