Officials discover pornographic ads selling two missing teenage girls for sex in Metro Detroit

Dyshaun Harris charged with sex trafficking, child pornography

Police rescued two teenage girls from a sex trafficker, according to court records. (WDIV)

DETROIT – Two missing teenage girls were rescued after authorities found at least four vulgar and pornographic online advertisements selling them for sex throughout Wayne and Macomb counties, police said.

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On July 10, the FBI Detroit Southeast Michigan Trafficking Exploitation Crimes Task Force started investigating the disappearance of two teenage girls -- ages 15 and 17.

Police said they learned the girls were possibly being trafficked in or around the Detroit area.

Sex trafficking ads

WARNING: Some of the details described in these advertisements are vulgar and disturbing.

Members of the task force found commercial sex advertisements involving the two girls on a website known to be used by people for sex trafficking, according to a criminal complaint.

The advertisements spanned from June 26 through July 11 and contained several pictures, many of which meet the definition of child pornography, officials said.

The first advertisement was posted June 26 using a telephone that had been provided to the Michigan Department of Corrections by Dyshaun Maurice Harris when he was on parole, according to authorities.

Police said the advertisement was in Inkster and showed the faces of both girls.

The next advertisement was for Detroit and was posted June 27 and was posted by the same number, officials said.

It contained several photos of the girls, including one in which they were sitting naked next to each other on a coach, according to court records. The 15-year-old girl was exposing herself in the photo, court records show.

The advertisement had an explicit message that offered both girls for $50 or one girl for $40, officials said.

Roseville advertisements

Law enforcement officials found three additional advertisements showing both girls, records show. All three were posted by Harris' phone number in the Roseville area, according to authorities.

A June 29 advertisement included pictures of the girls in lingerie and naked, court records show. The 15-year-old girl was exposing herself in one of the images, according to officials. The image met the federal definition of child pornography, police said.

The advertisement came with a message selling sex with one girl for $80 and sex with both girls for $160, according to the criminal complaint.

A July 1 advertisements contained several fully nude images of the girls engaged in sex acts with each other, authorities said. The ad met the federal definition of child pornography, officials said.

According to authorities, there was a message on the ad that said, "i am real i am not a cop either. must send face pic and answer question 1. r u involved with the law enforcement?"

The message went on to offer sex with the girls for $120, police said.

The final advertisement was from July 4 and contained several pictures of the girls fully nude together in a tub, according to the criminal complaint. The girls were also seen performing sex acts on each other, authorities said.

The images met the federal definition of child pornography, according to court records.

A message on the ad offered a "Fourth of July special" for sex with the girls.

Girls rescued

The phone number that posted all the advertisements was traced back to Harris, police said.

Harris, 29, is currently on parole with the MDOC, according to authorities.

Members of the task force located and rescued the girls July 11 in Detroit, police said.

They were both interviewed by task force officials about the commercial sex advertisements, court records show.

Both girls told authorities that Harris created the advertisements on the website for them, police said.

The girls said Harris took the photos using his cellphone and gave them instructions on how to pose, according to authorities.

Both girls said they participated in "dates" as a result of the advertisements posted by Harris, officials said. Authorities said Harris kept all the money from the sex acts the girls performed on the "dates."

The "dates" were in multiple locations throughout Metro Detroit, including Detroit and St. Clair Shores, court records show.

Harris knew the girls were younger than 18 years old, police said.

Harris charged

Harris is charged with two counts of sex trafficking of children, two counts of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one out of possession of child pornography.

Officials said Harris knew the girls were younger than 18 years old and that the advertisements would result in them being engaged in commercial sex.

He is accused of persuading or coercing the girls to produce the pictures while knowing they would be distributed online.

Harris was also found in possession of at least one electronic device that contained child pornography, officials said.

"There is probable cause to believe Dyshaun Maurice Harris has produced and distributed child pornography and has engaged in sex trafficking of minors," the criminal complaint concludes.


About the Author:

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.