6/18/2015 – OKC, OK — A Oklahoma man, with a long and violent criminal past, who previously pleaded guilty in federal court to child sex trafficking is now attempting to withdraw his plea.
JohnTV first reported on 27-year-old William Vontrail Johnson back in June of last year after he was arrested for pimping out a 14-year-old girl in the metro.
In Feb. of this year Johnson pleaded guilty in federal court to child sex trafficking. Specifically, Johnson stated that he “knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, or maintained a person who had not attained the age of 18 years … [Johnson] knew that [the minor] would be caused to engage in commercial sex acts …”
Johnson faces a sentence of 10-years to life in a federal prison, plus up to $250,000 in fines.
Johnson’s formal sentencing however has been placed on hold after he indicated, in a letter to the Judge, he wanted to fire his attorney and withdraw his plea because it was coerced.
In response, Johnson was appointed a public defender and a July 7 date was set for a judge to rule on Johnson’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea.
Below is the federal prosecutor’s response to Johnson’s motion…
Johnson was arrested as part of ‘Operation Diamond Cutter,’ a joint effort by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (Human Trafficking Unit), Homeland Security and the Oklahoma City Police Vice Unit.
According to court documents, on June 13, 2014, undercover agents responded to a Backpage.com ad for prostitution (see actual ad below) and were directed to the Days Inn near I-44 and May Ave. in Oklahoma City.
The back page.com ad that led to Johnson’s arrest.
After arriving to room 242 at the motel, the undercover officer was met by Johnson’s 14-year-old victim and was directed to place $100 on the counter and to ‘get comfortable’ on a towel on the bed while the female retrieved a condom.
The undercover officer then gave the takedown signal and additional officers began knocking at the door.
Before the officer could open the door for his backup, court records show he got into a scuffle with the child while trying to secure her cell phone. In the scuffle the phone (a flip style phone) broke into two pieces – leaving the officer with the keypad and the child with the screen.
Court records indicate the child was initially reluctant to give investigators any information as to her identity or who was pimping her. It was learned that the child’s street name was ‘Lil Red’ and she referred to Johnson as ‘Daddy.’
Officers were able to locate Johnson nearby and found he had a key to room 242, $800 cash and a cell phone that had texts with the young trafficking victim and even videos of Johnson and possibly other men engaging in sex with her.
In one of the videos Johnson is heard commanding his child victim to exclaim, “Do you like this young pussy” while she engages in sex with him. To which Johnson replies, “That 14 year old pussy, it’s the best.”
Johnson repeatedly orders his victim to call him ‘Daddy’ during sexual intercourse.
Photos of the young trafficking victim found on Johnson’s phone dated back to Dec. of 2013.
Upon search of the motel room, investigators found Johnson’s driver’s license, numerous used condoms in the trash can, several ‘drop phones’, Visa prepaid debit cards, a computer tablet, and drug scales.
Investigators then contacted the juvenile’s grandmother who verified her identify and confirmed that Johnson was known to be in her company and that the young girl was considered an endangered runaway.
Investigator’s also learned that room 242 was secured by a Oklahoma City man with a long criminal history named Stephen S. Cooke.
Johnson was originally charged in Oklahoma County court with human trafficking, two counts of oral sodomy, and rape in the second degree.
Johnson’s county charges were dropped in Nov. of 2014 to make way for federal charges.
The citizens of Oklahoma County should be relieved that this case was dropped by Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater’s office in favor of federal prosecution.
DA Prater has a recent history of allowing admitted child sex traffickers to withdraw their guilty plea, only to find them guilty of lesser crimes and sentencing them to probation only and no permanent record. Had Johnson pleaded guilty in state court and then changed his mind, there is no reason to believe DA Prater’s office would not have simply let him go to prey upon other children.
JohnTV will continue to follow this case.
