NORFOLK, Va. — An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Police Department resulted in a Portsmouth man being sentenced to 32 years in federal prison.
Pierre De Romeo Smith, 40, received the prison sentence June 13 following his conviction for sex trafficking, production of child pornography, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
“Through his monstrous actions, Pierre De Romeo Smith victimized a minor and posed a significant threat to the members of our Virginia communities. He deserves every day of this prison sentence,” said HSI Washington, D.C. Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon. “We are extremely honored to have worked with our law enforcement partners to ensure that justice was served in this case. HSI Washington, D.C. will continue to work aggressively and interrupt criminal activity in our areas of responsibility.”
According to the HSI-led investigation, on April 30, 2022, Smith met his 16-year-old victim. The same day, he took sexually explicit photographs of her, including suggestive photos of her posed with the muzzle of a shotgun in her mouth. Several hours later, he posted these pictures of her on a commercial sex website, advertising her for commercial sex. For the following three weeks, the defendant continued to make her available for commercial sex with as many as 30 “dates” a night throughout the Hampton Roads area. He gave her amphetamines to keep her awake and confiscated the money she received.
On May 19, 2022, the Virginia Beach Police Department conducted an undercover commercial sex operation at a hotel in Virginia Beach where they encountered Smith’s victim. When interviewing her at the hotel, detectives observed a text message on her phone from Smith stating he was there.
Police observed Smith arriving at the hotel’s parking garage and arrested him. A search of his vehicle led to the discovery of multiple controlled substances — including fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine — and a Glock handgun, which the defendant was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon.
Special agents from HSI Norfolk analyzed several electronic devices used by Smith. They identified evidence of gang involvement from his social media profiles. Through additional search warrants, they located child sexual abuse material Smith produced of his victim.
After his arrest, Smith “green lit” his 16-year-old victim, meaning he approved for her to be killed. The victim relayed this information to law enforcement authorities. HSI Norfolk corroborated the “green light” through two separate confidential sources. According to those sources, Smith, a leader in the Imperial Gangster Bloods gang, ordered an associate to carry out the murder, and Smith said that no one would testify against him at trial. To mitigate this, HSI Norfolk coordinated the victim’s transportation and ensured her safety at trial.
A federal jury convicted Smith on April 6, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force, a collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement, prosecutors and nongovernmental organizations, working together to combat human trafficking in the Hampton Roads region.
This investigation was conducted by HSI Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Anyone with information about human trafficking or other crimes is highly encouraged to contact HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP.
Learn more about HSI Washington, D.C.’s mission to increase public safety in our Virginia communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSI_DC.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents the Department of Homeland Security’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.