Peach Tree Times

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced the conviction of Jose Medina Dominguez (age 33), Cesar Juarez Oaxaca (age 39), Ruben Tolentino (age 35) and Cedric Johnson (age 48) for their involvement in the trafficking of a minor female victim in Cherokee and Fulton counties. All four of the defendants have been sentenced to prison. Specifically, Jose Medina Dominguez, Cesar Juarez Oaxaca and Ruben Tolentino have pleaded guilty to soliciting the underage victim for sex. Dominguez has also pleaded guilty to statutory rape. All three were in the country illegally. Cedric Johnson has pleaded guilty to selling the underage victim for sex.

“This is a byproduct of unchecked immigration policies, and we will not stand idly by as the safety of our most vulnerable Georgians is put at risk,” said Carr. “We have continued to prioritize the fight against human trafficking in our state, and in just one day we secured the conviction of four men who will now spend years behind bars for buying and selling an underage female for sex. These cases span two counties, multiple defendants and one victim who deserves justice, and we will not rest in our efforts to ensure all those involved are held fully accountable for their actions.”

The convictions stem from larger cases involving minor sex trafficking in Cherokee and Fulton counties. These cases were investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit and the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. The following law enforcement entities also assisted in the investigation: Homeland Security Investigations, the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s SWAT Team.

“Buying and selling human beings for sex is unconscionable, especially when it is a minor,” said GBI Director Mike Register. “We will continue to work with our partners to investigate these cases and bring these offenders to justice.”

Cherokee County Convictions and Sentences

On May 5, 2023, Jose Medina Dominguez pleaded guilty to the following charges in Cherokee County Superior Court. He was sentenced to 25 years, with 10 years to be served in prison. He is also required to register as a sex offender.

• 1 count of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46(c): The accused did knowingly solicit and patronize a person under the age of 18 years for the purpose of sexual servitude.
• 1 count of Statutory Rape in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-6-3(a): The accused, being older than 21 years of age, did engage in sexual intercourse with a person under 16 years of age.

On May 5, 2023, Cesar Juarez Oaxaca pleaded guilty to the following charge in Cherokee County Superior Court. He was sentenced to 25 years, with 12 years to be served in prison. He is also required to register as a sex offender.

• 1 count of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46(c): The accused did knowingly solicit and patronize a person under the age of 18 years for the purpose of sexual servitude.

Fulton County Convictions and Sentences

On May 5, 2023, Ruben Tolentino pleaded guilty to the following charge in Fulton County Superior Court. He was sentenced to 25 years, with seven years to be served in prison. He is also required to register as a sex offender.

• 1 count of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46(c): The accused did knowingly solicit and patronize a person under the age of 18 years for the purpose of sexual servitude.

On May 5, 2023, Cedric Johnson pleaded guilty to the following charge in Fulton County Superior Court. He was sentenced 25 years, with 13 years to be served in prison. He is also required to register as a sex offender.

• 1 count of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude in violation of O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46(c): The accused did knowingly benefit financially from the sexual servitude of a person under the age of 18 years.

This case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General Hannah Palmquist, who leads the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

Indictments

On Dec. 18, 2021, a traffic stop was conducted in Cherokee County on a vehicle driven by Mark Thomas. A 16-year-old female was located in the passenger seat.

The 16-year-old female disclosed that she had been sold for sex by Mark Thomas for approximately three months beginning in September 2021 when she was 15 years old. Thomas is alleged to have driven the child to Woodstock, Georgia, to be sold to Jose Medina Dominguez and Cesar Juarez Oaxaca. Mark Thomas, Jose Medina Dominguez and Cesar Juarez Oaxaca were therefore indicted in Cherokee County on Oct. 10, 2022. The State’s case against Mark Thomas in Cherokee County remains active and ongoing.

Mark Thomas is also alleged to have sold the child for sex along Fulton Industrial Boulevard and in surrounding hotels. Cedric Johnson is alleged to have assisted Mark Thomas, including receiving a portion of the financial proceeds from the sale of the underage victim. Ruben Tolentino is alleged to have purchased the child for sex. Mark Thomas, Cedric Johnson and Ruben Tolentino were therefore indicted in Fulton County on Oct. 17, 2022. The State’s case against Mark Thomas in Fulton County remains active and ongoing.

Over the course of this larger investigation, Analyst Umniah Al Bayati with the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit found evidence to suggest that a hotel clerk had knowingly assisted in the trafficking of the underage victim. After further analysis by the HEAT Unit, the GBI arrested and charged a sixth defendant – Dionte Johnson – on Feb. 14, 2023. Dionte Johnson was previously employed as a clerk at the Economy Hotel in Fulton County. In this role, he is alleged to have knowingly provided the rooms in which the trafficking occurred. He is also alleged to have solicited the underage victim for sex. Dionte Johnson was therefore indicted in Fulton County on March 20, 2023. The State’s case against Dionte Johnson in Fulton County remains active and ongoing.

About the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit

In 2019, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp and leaders in the Georgia General Assembly, Attorney General Chris Carr created the first-of-its-kind statewide Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

This Unit rescued and assisted 116 victims in 2022 and has secured six new convictions this year alone – all involving minor sex trafficking cases.  

The Unit has 49 defendants who are currently under indictment for sex or labor trafficking, with some facing charges in multiple jurisdictions around the state.

The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit is housed in the Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit and his Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit.

Original source can be found here.