A man in Detroit was arrested for allegedly forcing his 5-year-old daughter and other women into prostitution. According to WDIV in Detroit, Ryon Lenell Travis was initially investigated by authorities for illegally charging over $50,000 to a business’s credit card.
But when authorities executed a search warrant on Travis’ home, they discovered disturbing child porn images and women who were being held captive. When police walked into the home, they noticed a woman with a chain around her neck that had a padlock on it. The chain was locked to a stripper pole. There were also three other women in the room who called themselves Travis’ “wives.” Two of the women revealed that they were forced to have sex with other men. Travis would set up ads on websites and chat rooms to seek out men who were looking for sex.
However, the most appalling discovery occurred when the authorities checked the man’s cellphone. They found images of a young girl performing sex acts on an adult male. The 5-year-old girl is Travis’ daughter. A bed sheet seen on one of the images is believed to be the same sheet that was found on Travis’ bed.
Stephanie Moore, one of the women who claim to be one of Travis’ wives, told WDIV that she never witnessed Travis abusing the child. However, the photos prove that illegal activity was occurring within the home.
When Travis appeared before a judge, he claimed that he was not a recognized a citizen of the United States. He told the judge that he was a sovereign citizen and did not recognize the laws, courts and law enforcement of the United States. Because he claimed to be a sovereign citizen, Travis wanted his case to be dismissed. But the judge denied his request.
Travis was charged with sex trafficking and possessing, producing, and distributing child pornography.
