Home Detroit Press Releases 2009 Novi Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Transporting Minors in Child Sexual Enterprise
Info
This is archived material from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website. It may contain outdated information and links may no longer function.

Novi Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Transporting Minors in Child Sexual Enterprise
“Detroit Slim” Receives 12-Plus Years for Running Internet Prostitution Ring

U.S. Attorney’s Office August 18, 2009
  • Eastern District of Michigan (313) 226-9100

DETROIT, MI—Terrence Berg, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, announced that Dennis Paige, 35 of Novi, Michigan was sentenced in Federal District Court today for his conviction of two counts of Transportation of a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Conduct in violation of 18 United States Code §2423(a), two counts of Child Sexual Exploitation in violation of 18 United States Code §1591 and Interstate Distribution of Child Pornography in violation of 18 United States Code 2252A(a)(2). Paige was sentenced today by the Honorable Nancy Edmunds to 150 months in Federal Prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

The following facts were disclosed to the court at the time of the guilty plea and during sentencing elocution:

In September 2005, members of the FBI’s Southeast Michigan Crimes Against Children Task Force (SEMCAC), began investigating a prostitution ring involving three defendants: Dennis Paige, Sarah Dutton and Hortense Canty. After making a number of arrests of various girls associated with the organization for prostitution offenses, law enforcement focused on Dennis Paige (a.k.a., “Detroit Slim”), as the initiator and manager of the intrastate and interstate sex-enterprise. Paige was involved in the recruitment of a number of young women for prostitution, two of whom were minors.

In August, 2007, Defendant Paige was involved in the recruitment and posting of advertisements for a then 17-year-old girl. Paige and his co-defendants advertised the minor for sexual services via the Internet, in order to solicit sex for money. Thereafter, arrangements were made to have the a minor photographed by an individual located in Illinois. The travel coincided with her transport to Downer’s Grove, Illinois to be marketed as a prostitute through various websites.

During March, 2008, Paige transported a second minor girl from Michigan to Illinois and Ohio, with the intent that she also engage in prostitution. Paige, with the help of his codefendants Dutton and Canty, arranged for the advertisements of the girl on Craig’s list for sexual activity. Paige also arranged for the hotel rooms in which the acts of prostitution occurred. Undercover officers posing as customers were able to intercede before the girl was scheduled to have sex with a real “john.”

United States Attorney Terrence Berg said, “Today’s 150-month sentence sends a strong message that those who offer to sell young women and underage girls as commodities in the illegal sex trade will be aggressively prosecuted, and that the United States Attorney’s Office will do everything in its power to pursue an appropriately strict sentence. We will do our best to keep the Internet from continuing to be a haven for those who exploit teenagers and young women through their on-line prostitution businesses.”

Berg commended the work of the FBI, and South Eastern Michigan Crimes Against Children Task Force, a cooperative effort between the FBI, Michigan State Police, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Detroit and Madison Heights Police Departments. To date, SEMCAC has recovered over 40 minors being exploited as prostitutes and prosecuted 12 offenders federally since it’s inception in 2007.

Assistant United States Attorneys John O’Brien and Eaton Brown, prosecuted case for the United States.

This content has been reproduced from its original source.