Victor Clayton, 47, of Philadelphia, pled guilty to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor. He was sentenced on September 29, 2022 to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release by US District Judge R. Barclay Surrick.
In early 2018, Clayton trafficked the 16-year-old minor, forcing her to engage in various sex acts with numerous sex buyers in at least four hotels in Philadelphia. Clayton then drove the 16-year-old victim and her 15-year-old friend to Dunn, North Carolina to exploit them for his own financial gain. While in North Carolina, Clayton sexually assaulted the 15-year-old victim. Clayton was ultimately arrested on March 15, 2018, at the Baymont Inn and Suites by the Dunn, North Carolina Police Department.
United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero noted that human trafficking, especially of minors, “is one of the most devastating to victims that our Office prosecutes.” Romero explained that Clayton “forced a young person, a minor child, to sell her body for his own greed and financial gain” and assaulted her friend, another child. She further affirmed the Office’s intent to continue prosecuting human trafficking cases, stating that “we will continue to work collectively to investigate these destructive crimes against some of the most vulnerable victims in our community.”
Moreover, Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division condemned Clayton’s heinous acts against these two girls as “unconscionable.” She stated that “while this sentence doesn’t erase any of that, those 15 years behind bars bring some justice for his victims, and keep him from using and abusing even one more child.”
The CSE Institute notes that hotels and motels are among the most common venues for facilitating and financially benefitting from sex trafficking. These venues provide both easy entry and financial secrecy for sex buyers. The Trafficking Victim’s Protection Act provides means to hold hotels both criminally accountable and civilly liable for sex trafficking. In fact, in 2017, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, a hotel was convicted for sex trafficking.
The CSE Institute urges the hospitality industry to take ownership of this problem and confront it with tangible solutions. These solutions may include mandatory trainings for all management and employees to help them recognize the signs of sex trafficking in hotels and what to do if they suspect trafficking. The CSE Institute also urges the industry to stop turning a blind eye to the commercial sexual exploitation happening within their hotels. Instead, hotels and motels should become a leading force in stopping this exploitation altogether. The CSE Institute recognizes the need for legislation that would require these types of trainings, policies, and procedures to be implemented in every hotel and motel across the country.
The CSE Institute commends the Philadelphia Division of the FBI and the Dunn, North Carolina Police Department for their investigative efforts. The CSE Institute also applauds the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for their efforts to ensure that individuals who sexually exploit others are held accountable. Most importantly, the CSE Institute applauds the bravery of the survivors in this case. After all, it is irrefutable that survivor voices will be the force of change in the sex trafficking narrative.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.