Suspect in Las Vegas sex trafficking case targeted teens, report says

A 16-year-old girl who told Las Vegas police she was trafficked by Denzel Loyd said the 34-year-old is a “pimp who specifically looks for minors,” according to an arrest report.

Loyd was arrested by Metropolitan Police Department officers on May 14 after detectives determined that he had trafficked or attempted to traffic five teenage girls and a teenage boy — ages 13 to 17 — for sex, according to Loyd’s arrest report. He also is accused of attempting to persuade three of the minors under the age of 16 to perform sex acts with him.

Metro announced on Thursday that detectives were seeking additional victims. Loyd has been charged with six counts of sex trafficking of a child, six counts of attempted kidnapping of a minor, and three counts of luring a child with a computer for a sex act, court records show.

On March 21, Facebook “became aware” of a man who appeared to be “recruiting minors to engage in commercial sex,” the arrest report stated. Facebook forwarded the information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which in turn informed Metro’s child exploitation task force.

Police identified the six victims, who all said Loyd attempted to persuade them to have sex with others for money. Police determined that Loyd used Facebook and Instagram to communicate with the minors, and he sent some of them graphic pictures.

Two of the teenagers, who were 16 and 17, said Loyd started messaging them several years ago. He also told multiple victims he would take them to California or other states to traffic them for sex, according to the arrest report.

One girl told police that Loyd “specifically looks for minors” and that “all of the girls (Loyd) has tried to recruit as prostitutes (have) been minors that she knows,” the report stated.

A 16-year-old said she agreed to “recruit some of her friends to also work” for Loyd, according to the report.

When Loyd was arrested, he declined to speak with police, according to the report.

In July, Loyd pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of resisting a public officer, and in December 2013 he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge, court records show.

A preliminary hearing in the sex trafficking case is scheduled for June 3. Loyd remained in the Clark County Detention Center on Friday with a $20,000 bail.

Anyone who has information about the case or any victims may contact Metro’s vice section at 702-828-3455 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.