California man gets life in prison for trafficking missing teen in Texas
Devin Maurice Harmon, 51
SAN ANGELO, Texas - A California man was sentenced to life in federal prison for the multi-year sex trafficking, exploitation, and abuse of a missing teenager whom he forced into commercial sex work across multiple states, federal prosecutors announced Monday.
Trafficker sentenced to life
What we know:
Devin Maurice Harmon, 51, was sentenced July 31 by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who also ordered him to pay $5,250 in restitution. A federal jury convicted Harmon in April on seven counts, including sex trafficking of a minor, enticement, transportation of a minor, and witness tampering.
"For years, this defendant preyed on a vulnerable child, exploiting her fear and isolation for his own gratification and profit," U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in a statement. "He used violence, manipulation, and coercion to trap her in a cycle of abuse and then tried to silence her when law enforcement intervened."
The backstory:
Law enforcement first encountered Harmon and the 16-year-old victim, identified as Jane Doe 1, on July 4, 2024, after Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and Texas Rangers investigated an abandoned vehicle in Crockett County. Authorities located Harmon, the victim, who was listed as a nationally registered missing juvenile, and an infant in an Ozona hotel room.
According to trial evidence, Harmon met the girl when she was 14 and homeless in California. Over the next two years, he used violence and coercion to force her into commercial sex acts with approximately 100 adult men in the Los Angeles area, keeping all the proceeds and using her phone to coordinate clients.
At the time of their apprehension in Texas, Harmon was taking the victim to Louisiana to continue exploiting her for commercial sex work. Following his arrest, Harmon tried to manipulate and threaten both the victim and her guardian, leading to additional witness tampering convictions.
The joint investigation was conducted by the FBI, Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Crockett County Sheriff's Office, with victim support provided by Voice of Hope—Lubbock. Prosecuted under the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative, the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney James and Callie Woolam.
The Source: Information in this article is from the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.