Las Vegas man sentenced to ‘life’

ELLIS COUNTY – A 28-year-old Las Vegas man, Deandre DeSuza, was sentenced to life in prison last week by an Ellis County jury on charges of trafficking of persons.

DeSuza is the first person sentenced in Ellis County for human trafficking.

A statement from the Ellis County District Attorney’s Office read, “One of the ways a child is trafficked in Texas is when a person knowingly transports a child under the age of 18 and causes that child to engage in or become a victim of sexual assault. 

“That is how this case was charged.”

The case took two years to bring to trial before the life sentence was handed down. 

DeSuza had begun an online relationship with an Ellis County 14-year-old around Oct. 31, 2021.

A variety of social media platforms were used for ongoing contact as “DeSuza groomed the child, asking her to confide in him about her mental health issues and complimenting her appearance,” the press release revealed.

He eventually flew to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and drove to Ellis County for the purpose of “sexually assaulting the child,” the press release explained. 

He transported the child to a neighborhood hotel where he took explicit photographs and sexually assaulted her. 

“The family noticed the child was missing, saw disturbing messages on her phone, and called 911.”

The Ellis County Sheriff’s Department was immediately involved, and while the 14-year-old at first denied the sexual assault allegations, she later admitted the truth. 

DeSuza’s DNA was also confirmed through forensic evidence.

The sheriff’s office was able to track DeSuza to Las Vegas. Federal Homeland Security Investigations joined the case and searched DeSuza’s Nevada home, where they found child sexual materials as well as explicit images DeSuza took of the girl while they were at the hotel. 

It was also discovered DeSuza was involved on the dark web, with search history involving pornographic child sexual abuse materials.

The Ellis County jurors who heard the case were quick to deliver a guilty verdict in the 443rd District Court.

“Human trafficking has been a target for law enforcement and prosecutors across the state of Texas because it can be deadly for our most vulnerable – our children,” said Ellis County District Attorney Ann Montgomery.