'I Think It's Safe To Say The Devil Lives In Him:' Violent Texas Pimp Gets Life In Prison

A convicted sex trafficker who bragged about "ho money" on Facebook and who had lured young women to sex work with promises of a better life has been sentenced to life in prison.

Allen Nash, 31, was sentenced on Oct. 19, according to the Department of Justice. Nash had been convicted in April on charges that included sex trafficking of children, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking through force, fraud or coercion, transportation of a minor to engage in commercial sex acts and illegal possession of ammunition.

It had only taken jurors six hours to deliberate on Nash's guilt, according to Dallas Morning News.

Two of Nash’s victims, aged 17 and 19, told jurors that Nash had demanded they work at a massage parlor called the Doll House, the owner and manager of which partnered with Nash to provide customers with sexual encounters thinly disguised as "body rub" treatments through the since-shuddered Backpage.com.

Evidence presented at the trial showed Nash recruiting the 17-year-old victim through Facebook.

“I was a vulnerable little girl in need of guidance. I was desperate for help. Allen Nash knew that,” the young woman, now 22, said in an impact statement read aloud in court at the sentencing, according to the DOJ. “I think it’s safe to say the devil lives in him.”

Forced into constant labor, Nash seized their profits and threatened them with violence if they attempted to leave. In one instance, Nash smashed a victim's head into a toilet, cracking her skull as a warning to the other women as to what awaits them should they disobey his orders.

On social media, Nash could be frequently seen posing with stacks of cash and boasting that his money came from prostitutes.

Other writings on the page included the phrases "Pimp til the death of me." And "Are u ready to choose a real pimp?" according to Dallas News.

Nash maintained, however, he was merely pretending to be something he’s not.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox commended the victims for coming forward with their stories.

“Preying on vulnerable young women is despicable, and this sentence validates that important message,” said Cox at the sentencing, according to the DOJ. “I’m proud of the women who came forward to help us bring Mr. Nash to justice. We will continue to prioritize human trafficking cases across the Northern District of Texas.”

At his trial in April, Nash was prone to loud outbursts and bouts of crying, leading to U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle calling for several breaks in the trial, the Dallas Morning News reports. During these eruptions, Nash had denigrated his victims and accused his lawyers of conspiring against him. 

Boyle castigated Nash for his behavior.

"You look almost silly," Boyle told Nash at the trial, according to Dallas News. "It doesn't help you. This is your trial. If you want to get your story across, you have to calm down."

Connie Su Moser, the aforementioned owner of Doll House, and the facility's manager Kum Shugars, both pleaded guilty to racketeering in the summer of 2017, according to the Justice Department. 

Moser, who had also pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, had been sentenced to eight years in prison. Shugars was sentenced to two years.

Additionally, more than a million dollars’ worth of assets was seized from Moser: more than $400,000 in cash was confiscated from her home, $70,000 was taken from her bank account, and her 2015 Lexus was also taken.

The Department of Homeland Security, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Shreveport Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ Shreveport office had conducted a joint investigation, leading to the convictions, according to the DOJ.

[Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Justice]