South Nashville man facing sex trafficking, prostitution charges

Description

A woman picked up as part of a Metro police Internet prostitution sting claims a south Nashville man coerced her into prostituting herself.

The 22-year-old victim told police she met Donnell Minor, 34, in the University Court area of the Tony Sudekum public housing development. She said the suspect paid her sister $150 to watch her two children and promised to take her to Miami.

Instead of Miami, the victim said Minor allegedly took her to a Harding Place motel, told her that she now worked for him, and that he intended to advertise her services on the Internet, according to police.

Police said the victim told them she went along due to threats and the fact Minor knew where she lived.

Detectives said they encountered Minor, Keyshia Ferdinand, 22, and the victim Tuesday while conducting a prostitution sting operation at a downtown motel.

Minor allegedly drove the women there in response to a police-generated telephone call for prostitution services, police said.

Minor and Ferdinand were charged Tuesday with promoting prostitution. Additional interviews and the execution of a search warrant at Minor’s south Nashville motel room led police to add a charge of trafficking for sexual servitude, a class B felony.

Minor is being held in lieu of $95,000 bail. Ferdinand, who advertised under the adult services section of an Internet site, is being held in lieu of $30,000 bail.