A South Los Angeles man was arrested Wednesday on a five-count federal indictment alleging he recruited a 15-year-old girl for whom he acted as a pimp and advertised on the internet for sex work.
Donavin Bradford, 31, pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, two counts of sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction, and one count of possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
At his arraignment in downtown Los Angeles, Bradford was ordered jailed without bond, and an Oct. 25 trial date was scheduled.
Prosecutors allege Bradford expected the girl to earn him $1,000 per night and, in exchange, he provided her with clothes and a place to stay, the indictment states.
Bradford and co-defendant Layla Valdivia, 23, allegedly advertised the girl for commercial sex work on various websites, and customers who responded to the ads were directed to various hotels and motels where they engaged in sex acts with the victim.
Sometimes the minor victim would be required to perform sex acts with Valdivia and a client together, the indictment alleges.
Customers allegedly paid Bradford for dates with the victim or she would be required to give Bradford or Valdivia some of her earnings.
The indictment also contends that Bradford assaulted the victim when she tried to stop working for him on two separate occasions. Bradford allegedly also filmed himself engaging in sex acts with the victim.
Valdivia, of Ventura, who also is in federal custody, pleaded not guilty on Aug. 22 to one count of conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking of a minor. An Oct. 18 trial date has been scheduled for her.
If convicted of all charges, Bradford would face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison, Valdivia would face a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and both defendants would face possible maximum sentences of life imprisonment, prosecutors noted.