GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — 39-year-old Terrence Donte Clay of Grand Rapids will serve 300 months in federal prison for sex trafficking of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.
Clay was sentenced Wednesday for the crimes, which occurred in October and November of 2022.
“Mr. Clay is a sexual predator who preyed on a minor victim, treated her like his property, ordered her to sell herself for sex, and has demonstrated no remorse for his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We are committed to fighting the scourge of human trafficking, including both sex and labor trafficking. I appreciate the investigative work by our law enforcement partners to hold Mr. Clay accountable and secure a measure of justice for the victim.”
Totten said evidence introduced at the trial showed that Clay originally met the minor victim at a park in Grand Rapids in early Oct. 2022.
The evidence showed that Clay had sex with the victim multiple times and ordered her to have sex with other men for money. Clay even directed her to "make a sign" and "panhandle," offering specific sex acts at set prices.
Once Clay received nude images of the victim, he advertised her online, according to the attorney's office.
“Treating his victim like nothing more than property, Terrence Clay repeatedly ordered a minor to sell herself for sex,” said Totten at the time of Clay's sentencing. “Today’s guilty verdict on all counts secures a measure of justice for the victim and the entire community who is harmed by these heinous crimes. Working with our law enforcement partners, social service providers, and others we will continue our efforts to end the scourge of human trafficking.”
The attorney's office said police found the victim in a library and she was taken to a foster home in the Upper Peninsula while they began investigating the case.
However, Clay found her and picked her up on Nov. 12, 2022, without her foster family knowing. Shortly after Clay crossed south of the Mackinac Bridge, police pulled him over and found the victim with him.
“Our Human Trafficking Task Force continues to make progress in prosecutions and building relationships with area victim service providers to further enhance Kent County’s response to sex and labor trafficking,” said Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young. “It is not lost on us the impact these horrible crimes have on victims and our overall community.”
