A Tulsa judge orders a Las Vegas man to stand trial in Tulsa for child trafficking. According to police, Matthew Davis met the 17-year-old girl online and then flew to Tulsa to take her back to Vegas to be a prostitute for him.
The victim testified in court today, saying Davis taught her how to set up updates and what to charge, and then helped her arrange hotel meetings with men in Tulsa and Oklahoma City before they returned to Vegas. She said after the men paid her, Davis took all of the money.
The affidavit says Davis and the girl met online more than a year ago, but in May she told Davis she wanted to run away and needed help. Documents say he offered her to come to Vegas to work for his “escort business”. Testifying that Davis didn’t care she was 17, she flew to Tulsa to meet her. Documents say the two met in a hotel, had sex, then Davis took her to shop for new clothes, and a phone then let her take photos for use in online advertisements.
The victim testified that she asked Davis what to do if the men refused to pay and she said Davis told her “let them rape you”. Documents state that when the two made it back to Vegas, she thought about it and called her family. The FBI in Las Vegas rescued her and arrested Davis.
Davis’ attorney argues that the victim could have contacted her family at any time, and Davis never prevented her from leaving. Prosecutors say these cases are more common than people think and prosecution can be challenging, but it is important for victims to come forward.
Davis is due to appear in court on December 20th.
