A Chatham County woman arrested and charged with trafficking a person for sexual servitude entered a not guilty plea in court on Wednesday afternoon.
Devonte Milton, 27, was arrested in March and was also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and influencing a witness. The indictment against Milton alleges that she knowingly subjected a person under the age of 18 to sexual servitude. It also alleges that she willfully aided a minor under 17 in consuming alcohol. In addition, Milton is accused of attempting to deter a witness from testifying and indirectly communicating a threat of injury.
Court records show she was previously charged with exploitation of a child and computer pornography. In July 2021, Milton allegedly persuaded
a 16-year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct and asked him to send a lewd picture of himself.
Milton is one of five people arrested by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) in connection with the alleged human trafficking scheme.
According to previous court testimony, a transgender juvenile allegedly advertised herself as a 22-year-old on a website that is often used for prostitution, despite her being 16 or 17 at the time.
The indictment against Milton alleges that she knowingly subjected a person under the age of 18 to sexual servitude on Jan. 15. It also alleges that she willfully aided a minor under 17 in consuming alcohol on Feb. 15. In addition, Milton is accused of attempting to deter a witness from testifying and indirectly communicating a threat of injury.
CCSO Investigator Brad Harris said Kevin Joyner, 42, and Antonio White, 34, also messaged the juvenile, who was identified only by the initials T.G. in court, for sexual acts, pricing, and the location where the acts would be performed.
Michael Holsey, 34, also allegedly messaged T.G. and told Harris during several conversations that he received oral sex from T.G. for $60, the investigator said.
In Georgia, there is no specific charge for engaging in underage prostitution, Harris said, and the applicable offense is trafficking a person for sexual or labor servitude.
Joyner and Holsey were charged with trafficking a person for sexual servitude. White was charged with trafficking a person for labor servitude. James Sinclair, 33, was also charged with trafficking a person for sexual servitude. His case has not yet reached Superior Court.
In Chatham County Judge Benjamin Karpf’s chambers on Wednesday, Milton’s attorney, Anthony Burton, requested a trial by jury.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County woman pleads not guilty in human trafficking case
