Houston Man Sentenced to More Than 31 Years for Trafficking Minor for Commercial Sex

HOUSTON — A Houston man was sentenced Aug. 14 to more than 31 years in prison for trafficking a 16-year-old girl for commercial sex following a multiagency Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston, the Houston Police Department, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General, the Harris County Sherriff’s Office and FBI Houston.

Antonio Dario Osorio-Avelar, a 21-year-old Houston resident, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to 375 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 15 years of supervised release for the sex trafficking of a minor aggravated by the use of force, fraud or coercion. While on supervised release, Osorio-Avelar will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.

Osorio-Avelar pleaded guilty to the charges on April 18, 2023.

“With today’s sentence we have removed a dangerous predator from the community who used physical and sexual abuse, threats of violence and psychological manipulation to groom and control a minor victim and force her to engage in commercial sex for his own profit,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson. “The unspeakable atrocities that he committed to break her down and control every aspect of her life are truly abhorrent, but unfortunately are all too common among human traffickers. HSI remains committed to continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue the vile human trafficking organizations preying on our most vulnerable populations and to help connect victims with the trauma-informed services that they need to recover from their nightmare.”

The investigation showed that Osorio-Avelar trafficked a 16-year-old minor female for commercial sex in January 2023 with barely any clothes on in freezing temperatures. After recruiting her in Dallas, Osorio-Avelar brought the victim and another adult female he controlled to Houston to engage in commercial sex. One they arrived in Houston, he manipulated the minor victim, provided her with a phone to track her and frequently brandished a firearm in her presence to intimidate her.

Throughout the time the minor victim was with him, Osorio-Avelar supplied her with drugs and condoms. He directed when she ate, slept and worked. He also set a daily quota of $500 for her and coerced her into walking the “track” and appearing in online ads for commercial sex. When he was not causing her to engage in commercial sex, Osorio-Avelar was having violent sex with her himself, knowing she was just 16 years old. He also had the minor victim record videos of herself engaging in sex acts and sell them. Osorio-Avelar took all the proceeds.

In deciding what sentence should be imposed, the court heard about Osorio-Avelar’s significant prior criminal history and how he gave a different minor victim to one of his criminal associates. The court also heard testimony from the victim who, with grace and strength, detailed how his actions destroyed her familial relationships.

Osorio-Avelar will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack prosecuted the case.

For more news and information on HSI Houston’s efforts to aggressively investigate human trafficking and child exploitation in Southeast Texas follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @HSIHouston.