By Bay City News
A San Jose man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for forcing his partner into sex trafficking, Monterey County prosecutors said.
Courtney Trendon Davenport, 43, was convicted of one count of human trafficking of an adult for commercial sex purposes, a felony offense, and one count of domestic violence. This is his first conviction for human trafficking, the Monterey County District Attorney said in a statement Thursday.
On Feb. 2, 2023, around 8:10 p.m., Salinas police received a 911 call from a woman. Upon arrival, officers found the woman, who called from a restaurant on Kern Street. According to police, she said that her “boyfriend,” Davenport, had hurt her after she refused to leave their motel room and engage in commercial sex work for his financial benefit.
Davenport struck the victim in the eye with his elbow, prompting her to leave and call 911.
Police said that the victim was still speaking with officers when Davenport emerged from a neighboring restaurant and began yelling. He was shortly detained and found to have a knife in his possession.
According to prosecutors, Davenport had been forcing his partner to engage in sex acts for his financial gain, including forcing the victim to obey a set of strict rules that “controlled her movements through tracking, her ability to provide for her everyday needs through finances, and threats of violence and actual violence when she refused.”
“Davenport controlled what sex acts Jane Doe would perform, for whom she would perform them, how much she had to charge, and how much she had to make each day before she was allowed to return to their motel room,” the District Attorney’s Office said.
Besides his prison sentence, Davenport will have to register as a sexual offender for the remainder of his life, according to prosecutors.
Those with information about anyone being forced to engage in commercial sex work, or some other type of labor are encouraged to call 911 or reach out to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.