VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A man accused of sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl at the Oceanfront in Virginia Beach has been arrested and charged with several crimes.
According to federal prosecutors, 30-year-old Johnny Banks was arrested and remains in jail, accused of sex trafficking the girl and several other related charges.
In July 2024, Virginia Beach police were notified that the missing teen from Charlotte, N.C. was being held against her will and forced to "sell her body."
Authorities say she was advertised online and taken to hotels at the Oceanfront and in Suffolk.
After being arrested, prosecutors allege that Banks was heard on a jail call saying the police messed up "my pimpn".
The indictment alleges that Banks texted the girl, saying, "lol [JANE DOE] if u think u bouta play with me think again" and then texted "I'll really out smart u and have u floating in a creek."
The victim reported that Banks assaulted her, strangled her, and threatened to kill her.
Watch related: Survivor shares horrific experience of being sex trafficked in Hampton Roads
"I ended up falling asleep," the survivor recounted. "I got woke up to a 9-millimeter being pointed on me and her (trafficker) basically telling me you need to get up and you need to take a shower and you need to put some makeup on you're going to work."
Samaritan House, a local nonprofit that provides support to survivors, says they are the leading resource for housing and services for victims of human trafficking in Southeast Virginia.
They report that 26% of victims are minors and that Virginia ranks 15th in the U.S. for reported cases of human trafficking.
Watch: Woman charged with sex trafficking denies accusations in jailhouse interview
Meredith Williams, Samaritan House Crisis Services supervisor, said tourist areas can attract these kinds of crimes.
Williams emphasizes the need for vigilance, urging people to report any suspicious activity to authorities.
The WTKR News 3 Investigative Team remains committed to exposing the issue of human sex trafficking and raising awareness to help protect the most vulnerable in the community.
We reached out to the lawyer representing Banks and she said she couldn't comment on the case.
