SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a man from Texas was sentenced to 178 months in prison for bringing a minor to Shreveport to engage in prostitution.
Larry D. Bluitt, 27, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in prostitution. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the October 8, 2015 guilty plea, a law enforcement agent working in an undercover capacity responded to an online ad for prostitution on December 17, 2014. The undercover agent arranged to meet an individual at a Shreveport hotel for the purpose of prostitution. Agents observed Bluitt driving a 14-year-old female to the hotel to meet the undercover agent for sex. After he dropped off the juvenile, Bluitt was arrested by members of the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force. Bluitt admitted he drove the minor female from Dallas to Shreveport for prostitution.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
“Human sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery that is made even worse in this case because the defendant was using a child,” Finley stated. “Prosecuting crimes such as this one are a top priority for this office. Our efforts are focused on stopping these crimes in our district so that no one has to endure the pain and torture. I want to thank the federal, state and local agencies and the prosecutor who work so hard to successfully investigate and prosecute these cases.”
Those concerned may leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Shreveport FBI office number is (318) 861-1890.
The FBI-Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.