Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Houston man has been found guilty of sex trafficking and enticing minors. Cristian Morris, 22, has been convicted on two counts of sex trafficking and one count of enticing a minor, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
A federal jury reached this verdict after a day and a half of deliberations following a three-day trial. Morris was involved in recruiting young teenage girls in Houston and Dallas between January 1 and June 23, 2023. He provided them with drugs, posted explicit advertisements online, and forced them into commercial sex acts. Clients met the victims in hotels around the "blade," areas in Houston and Dallas known for such activities. Morris kept all the money received from these transactions.
"What this case demonstrates is that if you pimp, traffic, or exploit either women or children, you will be caught, and you shouldn’t expect anything other than the hardest charges that we can bring," said Ganjei. "This is a great result for victims and will hopefully serve as a warning to other pimps that you’re not just risking state charges, you’ll also have the feds on you as well."
During the trial, victims testified that Morris instructed them on methods to engage with clients and maintain operations. He transported them between the two cities, provided condoms, and directed their activities. The jury rejected the defense's portrayal of the victims as runaways and dropouts, leading to Morris’s conviction.
Morris's arrest on June 23, 2023, occurred after he was linked to a commercial sex advertisement for a 15-year-old victim. Sentencing is scheduled for July 10, with Morris facing the potential for life imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett presided over the trial, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Kimberly Leo. The FBI and the Houston Police Department led the investigation under the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).
The HTRA combines resources from various federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, targeting human traffickers and providing support to victims. Since its establishment in 2004, the Alliance has been acclaimed for its role in combating human trafficking.
