Plano Man Arrested for Trafficking Teenage Girl: Police

A Plano man is in jail, accused of luring a teenage girl away from her family with plans to train her as a prostitute.

Officers claim Johnta Deshun Silverburg, 29, was running a brothel out of an apartment in the 6400 block of Ohio Drive in Plano.

Earlier this year, investigators said he befriended a 17-year-old girl online and convinced her to leave her home in El Paso to come live with him in North Texas.

According to court documents, once the girl arrived Silverburg admitted he was a "pimp" and told them girl "he would let her go on 'dates' with other men for money in exchange for sex, but that she would not be allowed to have a steady boyfriend."

Investigators said the girl became emotional and told Silverburg she was still a virgin, however Silverburg continued to "groom" the girl to be prostitute.

In a probable cause affidavit, the girl told police at one point Silverburg became upset with her for not removing a bracelet on her wrist given to her by a friend and "choked her so hard that she lost consciousness."

Investigators said Silverburg would mainly operate out of the apartment, but also leased a home in the 7100 block of Cloverhaven Way in Northeast Plano.

Angela Corbett lives directly next door to the home and is terrified to think her 17-year-old daughter was sleeping just feet away from such activity.

"It's very scary. I've got four children at home, two of them girls. It's very scary to find that out," Corbett said.

"I feel like I'm constantly checking out the window to see if there's activity going on in that house and wondering every day if something else is going on."

Officers said twice the girl checked into a shelter but Silverburg convinced her to return.

Officers were able to make contact with the girl in early April and pick her up.

They arrested Silverburg shortly after.

He was indicted on June 18th on felony charges of suspicion of trafficking of persons under 18/prostitution/forces labor and assault/impeding breath.

Silverburg is also being investigated for cases in Balch Springs and Dallas County.
 

Contact Us