Local Pimp Admits Sex Trafficking Women to Multiple States

For Further Information, Contact:
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Williams (619) 546-8917 or  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Orabona (619) 546-7951

SAN DIEGO, CA – A local man who engaged in sex trafficking of women in California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Virginia from November 2019 through January 2021 pleaded guilty in federal court today to sex trafficking charges.

In November 2022, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Davon Dunn, aka “Lil Kant,” with sex trafficking women by fraud, force and coercion and transporting women in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts. Dunn was arrested in December 2022 and ordered detained without bail by the Court.

Today, Dunn entered his guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell D. Dembin.  According to the plea agreement, Dunn admitted to knowingly recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing, obtaining, and maintaining an adult female (“AF1”), knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that means of force, threats of force, fraud, coercion, and any combination of such means would be used to cause AF1 to engage in commercial sex acts. Dunn admitted that these sex acts occurred in the Southern District of California and elsewhere.    

More specifically, between April 2020 and January 2021, within the Southern District of California, and elsewhere, Dunn admitted he used a combination of force, fraud, and coercion to cause AF1 to engage in commercial sex acts. In particular, Dunn harbored AF1 in an apartment in Riverside County, where he provided transportation for AF1 to travel to and from “dates” (which is the meeting between the customer and commercial sex worker for the activity of prostitution), including “dates” in San Diego County, where AF1 engaged in commercial sex acts.  Dunn maintained AF1 by providing her with food and supplies needed to engage in commercial sex acts.  Dunn also admitted that AF1 shared the proceeds of her commercial sex acts with him.  Dunn used his cellular phone to post, repost, and “bump” (which means to push to the top of the webpage) commercial sex advertisements featuring AF1. 

As provided in the plea agreement, Dunn admitted on or about October 1, 2020, while AF1 was working as a commercial sex worker, Dunn struck AF1 in her face, ribs, and back to cause her to resume engaging in commercial sex acts after AF1 indicated she no longer wished to engage in commercial sex acts. Dunn’s use of force against AF1 resulted in injuries to her face and caused her to experience multiple fainting episodes. Dunn also admitted to posting commercial advertisements, and booking hotel and airline travel all related to his commercial sex trafficking of AF1.

In addition to trafficking AF1, Dunn admitted in his plea agreement to causing the transportation of two other adult women (AF2 and AF3) from San Diego to Massachusetts, Virginia, and Nevada for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts and prostitution between November 2019 and June 2020. Dunn also admitted to using force against AF3 in connection with the commercial sex acts. In particular, Dunn slapped AF3 and used force to make her continue engaging in commercial sex acts. 

“These are crimes that haunt victims for a very long time,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “We will seek justice for them in hopes that it will ease their suffering.” Grossman commended the prosecution team as well as FBI agents and members of the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force for their continuing effort to investigate and prosecute this important case.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 21, 2023, at 9 a.m. before the U.S. District Robert S. Huie.  Dunn has been in custody since his arrest in December 2022. 

DEFENDANT                                   Case Number: 22CR2727-RSH

Davon Dunn                                       Age: 30                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Sex trafficking by Fraud, Force, and Coercion – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1591(a)(1)

Maximum penalty: Life in Prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, which consists of:

• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• California Department of Justice
• California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation – Parole
• California Highway Patrol
• ICE/Homeland Security Investigations
• National City Police Department
• San Diego City Attorney’s Office
• San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
• San Diego County Probation Department
• San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
• San Diego Police Department
• The United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California