CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Attorney General Chris Carr announced the latest conviction in a multi-defendant human trafficking case out of Clayton County. The case dates back to 2018 and involved a 15-year-old girl, who was being sold for sex out of two different hotels.
On Monday, the attorney general said Daniel Horne, of Clayton County, pleaded guilty to trafficking of persons for sexual servitude. He was sentenced to 12 years. Horne will also now have to register as a sex offender.
This case involved three other defendants. In August of 2022, Gregory Benoit also pleaded guilty to trafficking of persons for sexual servitude. He was sentenced to 15 years and must also register as a sex offender.
In July of 2022, Christopher Weldon pleaded guilty to trafficking of persons for sexual servitude and statutory rape. He was sentenced to 25 years.
The Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit’s case against Theodore Browne Jr. is still active and ongoing. Browne is facing the following charges: human trafficking, aggravated child molestation, statutory rape and cruelty to children.
Prosecutors said Browne Jr. and Weldon sold the teenager for sex to multiple men out of two separate hotels for several months in 2018. Two of those men, who prosecutors said paid for sex with the child, were Benoit and Horne.
This case was actually closed by local jurisdictions before the AG’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit reopened it in 2019.
“When we first opened this case, our Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit pledged to bring every offender involved to justice, and this outcome brings us one step closer to fulfilling that commitment,” Attorney General Chris Carr explained. "Our work is not done, and we will keep fighting to ensure that all those who engaged in the trafficking of this underage victim are held accountable for their actions. All Georgians deserve to be safe and we will continue to use all resources at our disposal to protect our state’s most vulnerable citizens."
As of Monday, the Human Traffic Prosecution Unit has 46 defendants who are currently under indictment for sex or labor trafficking, with some facing charges in multiple jurisdictions around the state.
In 2022, the unit said they obtained six new convictions, led and assisted 33 case investigations, and rescued and assisted 116 victims.