United States District Court Eastern District of Virginia

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A South Carolina man who sex trafficked a teen girl at seedy spots in Virginia will spend decades in prison, federal authorities announced.

Summerville native Johnny Thiel Banks, 30, was sentenced in Virginia to 33 years in prison following his conviction on a host of serious charges.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in July 2024, Banks transported a minor (Jane Doe) across state lines from North Carolina to Virginia on multiple occasions.

While in Virginia, he sex trafficked Jane Doe at hotels, a truck stop, and a gas station in Hampton Roads, including in Suffolk and Virginia Beach.

At the time of the sex trafficking, Jane Doe had just finished the eighth grade, investigators said.

"Banks repeatedly threatened Jane Doe and her family to get her to comply with his demands," court documents state. "He also had her pose for and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM)."

When the teen did not want to go back to Virginia, Banks threatened to have her "floating in a creek." 

On July 31, 2024, while armed with a firearm, Banks took the teen from a home and brought her to a hotel in Virginia Beach to sex traffic her. 

He set up multiple commercial sex appointments that night. 

After they arrived in Virginia Beach, Banks argued with Jane Doe and strangled her, and she called a family member for help. 

After receiving information that Jane Doe was missing from Charlotte, the Virginia Beach Police Department quickly located her in the parking garage of a hotel. 

As officers spoke with Jane Doe, Banks walked by and was detained.

During a search of his rental vehicle, investigators recovered Banks' loaded handgun. 

Officials made note that "as a previously convicted felon, Banks cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition."

Three cellphones seized during the search also led to the recovery of CSAM and evidence of sex trafficking.

Banks was convicted of: 

  • Sex trafficking by force;
  • Fraud and coercion;
  • Sex trafficking of a minor;
  • Production of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct;
  • Transportation with the intent to engage in prostitution;
  • Transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in prostitution;
  • Being a felon in possession of a firearm.

“Banks’ treatment of his victim reflects an absolute disregard for humanity,” US Attorney Lindsey Halligan said. 

“No person should be subject to such vile actions," she added. "This sentence will help to ensure that Banks cannot inflict similar harm on additional victims.”