A 2021 prostitution/sex trafficking investigation in Murfreesboro leads to the indictment and arrest of a Florida man

May 25, 2022 at 01:46 pm by WGNS

Vytal Dominique Cote, 27 arrested in FL

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) Special Investigations Division Vice Unit detectives, with assistance from special agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), arrested a Florida man on sex trafficking charges. According to the MPD, 27-year-old Vytal Dominique Cote was arrested in Broward County, Florida on May 11. Cote was indicted May 4th by a Rutherford County Grand Jury on charges of trafficking for a commercial sex act, promoting prostitution, and money laundering. 

The investigation led MPD Detectives Sam Day and Jonathan Brown to Dania Beach, Florida, where they took Cote into custody with help from Florida (FDLE) agents. The detectives were able to recover several electronic devices and a ledger from the man’s home.

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A Florida woman, who moved to Spring Hill, Tennessee, was charged with prostitution in November of 2021. During the investigation, detectives dismissed charges against the woman once discovering she was a victim of sex trafficking. She told investigators Cote followed her to Tennessee and forced her to do massages and then perform sex acts on clients. She said Cote even threatened to have her deported if she didn’t comply.

The Rutherford County District Attorney’s office issued an extradition letter for Cote, where he will eventually be returned to Rutherford County to answer to the charges. The Murfreesboro Police Department reports that Florida agents located at least four more possible sex trafficking victims in the South Florida area as part of this investigation. 

Source: MPD

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