NORFOLK, Va. — Denzel Akeem Loftin, a 32-year-old man from Chesapeake, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sex trafficking two minors. The sentencing follows an investigation involving undercover law enforcement and the FBI.
Court documents revealed that in September 2022, Loftin, posing as a pimp, began communicating with an undercover officer he believed was a 17-year-old girl in Pennsylvania. He invited her to Virginia to work for him and posted online sex trafficking advertisements for her the following month. In October 2022, the FBI identified a 14-year-old missing child from Colorado in sex trafficking advertisements in the Hampton Roads area. Law enforcement arranged a commercial sex “date” with the 14-year-old and another juvenile, where Loftin was observed with the minors.
Investigations also linked Loftin to a missing 17-year-old from Missouri. Evidence from seized electronic devices indicated Loftin’s direct involvement in sex trafficking and physical abuse of the 17-year-old minor.
Emerita Moore, a 24-year-old from Norfolk, assisted Loftin in his operation. Acting as his “bottom,” she managed the girls and facilitated their travel to Virginia. Moore was arrested along with the minors and was sentenced to 5 years in prison on November 7.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica D. Aber, FBI Norfolk Field Office Special Agent in Charge Brian Dugan, and Chesapeake Police Chief Mark G. Solesky announced the sentencing, underscoring the collaborative effort in the investigation. The Chesapeake Police Department played a crucial role in bringing this case to resolution.