Following a two-day trial, a federal jury in the Western District of Kentucky convicted Portier Q. Govan, 38, of Memphis, Tennessee, of all counts in a five-count indictment, including sex trafficking, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, obstruction or interference with a sex trafficking prosecution or investigation, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Govan’s co-defendant, Brittany R. Howard, 25, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution and obstruction or interference with a sex trafficking prosecution or investigation.

“This defendant used extreme threats of violence to compel an 18-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex, even holding a gun to her head to terrify, control and coerce her for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant sought to cover up his crime by repeatedly intimidating a witness to lie for him. A unanimous jury has found the defendant guilty of his heinous conduct, and our prosecution should make clear that we will not tolerate sex trafficking in our country. The Justice Department will use all the tools at our disposal to hold human traffickers accountable, to seek justice for survivors, and to protect survivors from harm.”

“I commend the prosecution team, FBI’s Bowling Green Resident Agency and the Bowling Green Police Department for their outstanding work on this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “We are committed to the aggressive investigation and prosecution of human trafficking wherever it occurs in the Western District. I strongly encourage the public to report any suspected human trafficking to law enforcement.”  

“This defendant preyed on a vulnerable young woman, threatening her with physical violence and even death if she didn’t comply with his demands,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “The woman was forced to engage in commercial sex while the defendant profited from her suffering. Tragically, this is a reality that unfolds far too often in our communities. The FBI is fully committed to using every resource at our disposal to identify perpetrators, hold them accountable and put an end to the devastating crime of sex trafficking.”

Evidence presented during the trial established that Govan and Howard met the victim at a gas station in Bowling Green and convinced her to come back to their hotel room where they recruited and enticed her to engage in commercial sex by making false promises of making good money. Govan continued his enticement attempts by taking the victim on a shopping trip to two shopping malls in Tennessee, and when they returned to Bowling Green later that night, Govan and Howard convinced the victim to participate with Howard in seeing a commercial sex customer. From that moment on, Govan’s attitude toward the victim changed, as he became demanding, intimidating and threatening. Govan ordered the victim to make eye contact with him while speaking, and even threatened to kill the victim, pressing a pistol against her head while she was in the front passenger seat of a car, then lowering the gun and firing a bullet across her lap, missing her body by inches. Govan further scared the victim by showing her a video of himself beating a defenseless man tied to a chair. Govan sexually assaulted the victim, and for four days compelled her to engage in commercial sex for his profit by threatening to hurt her. Upon being discovered by the police, Govan attempted to interfere with the investigation by having Howard lie for him and prevent the police from speaking to the victim, and after his arrest, he sought to obstruct the prosecution by passing letters to Howard in the jail instructing her to lie.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 25, 2025, and Howard will face a sentencing hearing on March 9, 2025. Govan faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Louisville Field Office, Bowling Green Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bowling Green Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.