FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Four men have been convicted in Cherokee and Fulton counties in a minor sex trafficking case dating back to a 2021 traffic stop.
On May 5, Jose Medina Dominguez, 33, and Cesar Juarez Oaxaca, 39, both plead guilty to one count of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude in Cherokee County. Dominguez also pled guilty to one count of statutory rape.
On the same day, Ruben Tolentino, 35, and Cedric Johnson, 48, also pled guilty to one count of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude in Fulton County.
All men are required to register as sex offenders.
These convictions come as Attorney General Chris Carr's Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit prioritized efforts through collaborating with other state and local agencies such as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
Homeland Security Investigations, the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s SWAT Team also assisted in this case.
"These cases span two counties, multiple defendants and one victim who deserves justice, and we will not rest in our efforts to ensure all those involved are held fully accountable for their actions," Attorney General Chris Carr said.
A Dec. 18, 2021 traffic stop conducted by Cherokee County officials found a man named Mark Thomas accompanied by a 16-year-old girl.
The girl revealed Thomas began selling her for sex in September 2021 when she was 15 years old. Allegedly, Thomas drove to Woodstock, Georgia to sell the minor to Dominguez and Oaxaca.
Thomas also allegedly sold the minor to Tolentino and others along Fulton Industrial Boulevard in surrounding hotels.
Johnson is believed to have received financial payment for his assistance in the sale of the minor.
The analyst also found evidence suggesting Dionte Johnson, a former hotel clerk at the Economy Hotel in Fulton County, assisted by providing hotel rooms for trafficking as well as soliciting sex.
These findings led to Thomas, Dominguez and Oaxaca being indicted in Cherokee County on Oct. 10, 2022. Thomas, Tolentino and Johnson were also indicted in Fulton County on Oct. 17, 2022.
Dionte Johnson was indicted in Fulton County on Mar. 20 after being arrested on Feb. 14.
Dominguez and Oaxaca were both sentenced to 25 years, however, Oaxaca is required to serve 12 years in prison while Dominguez is required to serve 10 years.
Tolentino and Johnson were also sentenced to 25 years, with Tolentino only required to serve seven years in prison. Johnson is required to serve 13 years in prison.
State cases against Mark Thomas in Cherokee County and Fulton County remain active and ongoing. A state case against Dionte Johnson in Fulton County also remains active and ongoing.
“Buying and selling human beings for sex is unconscionable, especially when it is a minor,” GBI Director Mike Register said. “We will continue to work with our partners to investigate these cases and bring these offenders to justice.”