On Monday, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced the indictment of Dionte Johnson, a 30-year-old former hotel clerk, on two counts of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude. The indictment is a result of the work of the state’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit that was formed under Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
“This indictment is just the latest in a larger investigation that started with a traffic stop in Cherokee County and led to a hotel in Atlanta,” said Carr. “Working with our partners at the GBI, we are using all resources at our disposal to identify and hold accountable every person who engaged in the trafficking of this underage victim. We will not rest in our pursuit of justice for this young woman, and we will keep fighting each day to protect our most vulnerable Georgians.”
According to a press release from Carr’s office, the indictment stems from an ongoing investigation led by the the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit and the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. Five other men have already been indicted in Fulton and Cherokee counties in addition to Dionte Johnson.
“Throughout the course of a larger investigation, Analyst Umniah Al Bayati with the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit found evidence to suggest that a hotel clerk had knowingly assisted in the trafficking of a 16-year-old female victim. After further analysis by the HEAT Unit, the GBI arrested and charged Dionte Johnson on Feb. 14, 2023,” the press release said. “Specifically, Dionte Johnson is alleged to have knowingly provided the rooms in which the trafficking occurred. He is also alleged to have solicited the underage victim for sex.”
“Selling minors for sex will not be tolerated,” said GBI Director Mike Register. “Our HEAT Unit is dedicated to investigating sex and labor trafficking around the state. We are thankful to partner with the Attorney General’s Office as they prosecute these heinous crimes and bring justice to vulnerable victims.”