Houston man gets 20 years for sex trafficking minor

HOUSTON - A 27-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison after luring a minor away from her family and forcing her to engage in prostitution, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Trevyeon Deshawn Prater pleaded guilty July 28, 2025.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has now ordered Prater to serve 240 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including a victim letter indicating how Prater's conduct had negatively affected her over the years. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the crime was part of an evil cycle that takes advantage of people and how terrible it is to do so to a young lady. He added that this was a pattern which involved months of intentional acts. Prater will also serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Prater will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

On Nov. 29, 2022, a 13-year-old minor was reported missing. The investigation led law enforcement to the Bissonnet "blade," where authorities recovered her.

She described how Prater personally coached her in person and over the phone. The minor victim also stated going to the blade over a period of months for Prater.

The blade or "track" is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston where pimps and traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex.

At the time of his plea, Prater admitted he recruited the minor victim to engage in prostitution and knew she was a minor. He communicated with her by cell phone and lured her away from her family.

Prater has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Leo and Celia Moyer prosecuted the case.

FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance from Houston Police Department as part of the of Human Trafficking Rescue alliance.

HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General's Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, DOL - Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security - OIG, Social Security Administration - OIG and Sheriff's Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney's offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.

Established in 2004, the United States Attorney's office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.