3 indicted for trafficking child

Published 5:22 pm Thursday, April 25, 2019

Staff report

BEAUMONT — Jefferson County District Attorney Bob Wortham and Beaumont Police Chief Jimmy Singletary announced Thursday that a Jefferson County grand jury returned indictments on three people involved in the trafficking of a 12-year-old female.

The indictments were the result of a joint investigation involving the Beaumont Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.

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On Jan. 30, officers with the Beaumont Police Department responded to a call for service at the intersection of Walden Road and Fannett Road in Beaumont in reference to a local 12-year-old runaway, according to information from the BPD.

Officers received information they deemed credible from several witnesses at the location that led them to believe the child was currently being trafficked. Detectives from BPD’s Narcotics Unit, Special Crimes Division and the Special Assignment Unit, as well as agents from Homeland Security investigations, responded to the scene. Detectives located an online ad that offered sex with the child in exchange for money. Detectives made contact with an unknown individual to set up a “date” for the child at a local motel. Detectives conducted a sting operation in which they safely recovered the child. She was immediately taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital for medical treatment and a forensic medical exam.

Toni Davis, 25, of Beaumont, and Arthur Gilder, 23, of Beaumont, transported the child to the motel for the “date” and were arrested at the scene for the first-degree felony of trafficking of persons. The investigation later revealed dozens of ads had been posted online of the child. The phone numbers and email addresses associated with these ads belonged to Toni Davis and Arthur Gilder.

The investigation also revealed that Andre Tucker, 24, of Beaumont, had engaged in sexual acts with the child in exchange for money after seeing an ad of her online. Detectives executed a search warrant at Tucker’s residence on Jan. 31, where he was arrested for the first-degree felony of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Tucker confessed to detectives that he had engaged in sexual acts with the 12-year-old.

In addition to Tucker, numerous other unknown “johns” also paid for sex with the child.

Toni Davis was indicted on two cases of trafficking of persons and one case of attempted trafficking of persons. She faces five to 99 years or life in prison for the trafficking of persons cases. She faces two to 20 years in prison for the attempted trafficking of persons case.

Arthur Gilder was indicted for two cases of trafficking of persons. He is facing five to 99 years or life in prison. Andre Tucker was indicted for two cases of aggravated sexual assault of a child. He is facing five to 99 years or life in prison.

A person commits the offense of trafficking of persons if they knowingly traffic a child and cause the child to engage in, or become the victim of, prostitution, aggravated sexual assault of a child or other sexual offenses, regardless of whether the person knows the age of the child.

Traffic means to transport, entice, recruit, harbor, provide or otherwise obtain a person by any means.

The investigation was ongoing and detectives believe there is a possibility that additional suspects and/or victims may be identified.