Galveston Man Sentenced to Life In Prison For Sex Trafficking

GALVESTON, TX – A 40-year-old Galveston man who led a sex trafficking ring has been sentenced to federal prison.

A Galveston jury found Charles Devan Fulton Sr. guilty on July 6, 2016, for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and four counts of sex trafficking of minors following a six-day trial and approximately four hours of deliberation.

Three others - Charmell Latonya Potts, Dominique Warner, and Lawrence James Julian, had previously pleaded guilty for their respective roles.

On Nov. 6, U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. ordered Fulton to serve life in prison.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Hanks called him a “very dangerous man” and mentioned the defendant seemed willing to do anything or use anyone to get what he wanted.

The court further noted that while speaking on his own behalf today, Fulton never showed any remorse nor any feeling for the harm that befell the victims, only indicating how much this has hurt him and his family.

As he was imposing the sentence, Judge Hanks commented that the court speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves – for those that were victimized and terrorized by Fulton.

The jury found Fulton engaged in a conspiracy with the others between June 1, 2014, through April 1, 2015, in which they engaged in conspiracy to recruit, entice and harbor minors to engage in sex trafficking.

Fulton aka “Black” or “Blacc,” was the leader of the group and ordered Potts to post pictures of two of the identified minor victims in prostitution ads on line.

Warner aka “Meathead,” Julian aka “Wolf” and Potts also drove the minor females to hotels where the minors would engage in commercial sex acts.

The jury heard that the minors engaged in hundreds of commercial sex acts over the course of the conspiracy.

The victims testified at trial, as did Potts, that Fulton would keep the money the children earned performing commercial sex acts, and that Fulton used force, threats of force, fraud or coercion against two of the victims.

In addition, testimony revealed Fulton had sex with the victims knowing they were minors, that he provided them with drugs and he had no legitimate source of income.

All have been and will remain in custody.

The FBI and the Galveston Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office.

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