Toledo Men Charged with Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Other Offenses

A superseding indictment was filed against Duane Hill and Taurus Devault, both age 25 and both of Toledo, Ohio, for their roles in sex trafficking of a minor, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The indictment charges both men with sex trafficking of a minor and with conspiring to use a facility of interstate commerce (i.e. the Internet and the telephone network) to promote a business enterprise involving prostitution. The superseding indictment also charges Hill with obstructing the investigation into the alleged child sex trafficking.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, the defendants’ respective roles in the offense, and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum. For convictions of sex trafficking of minors, the law provides a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and a maximum term of life. In addition, any term of imprisonment must be followed by a term of supervised release of at least five years, and up to life.

The investigating agency in this case is the Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, which consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Toledo, Toledo Police Department, Perrysburg Township Police Department, Lima Police Department, Oregon Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Hurley.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.