Man banished from Douglas County for sex trafficking

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - A 33-year-old man has been banished from Douglas County after pleading guilty to sex trafficking.

What we know:

The trial for Elmer Page began on April 21. After just a day and a half of emotional testimony, Page entered his plea.

His charges included trafficking persons for sexual servitude, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and theft by taking.

He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is forbidden from contacting the victim or her family, will be registered as a sex offender and cannot return to Douglas County.

The backstory:

The case against Page referenced an incident that took place on Oct. 9, 2023. On that day, Douglasville police were called to investigate a shooting at a hotel.

They discovered a woman had been shot in the neck. Page spoke to police and told them she accidentally shot herself while taking a gun out of her jacket.

When the woman made it to the hospital, she told police she had actually been shot by Page. She said the two had been arguing after she threatened to leave him. According to the victim, Page had been exploiting her for prostitution since September and was threatening to harm her mom and sister. He told her that if she wanted to leave, she would owe him $1,000. The victim allegedly told him that she would rather be homeless than sell her body.

"Human trafficking has no place in our community, and those who exploit others for profit will be held fully accountable under the law," said District Attorney Dalia Racine. "We commend the bravery of the survivor who came forward and told the jury about how the defendant nearly killed her after trying to escape his exploitation. Her courage is what made this outcome possible."