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It was two years ago when Devin Mims and the girl, in her early teens, first met online, but soon the two were "hanging out," and at one point, the man drove the girl to a home on Washington Boulevard, where he ordered her to "strip now," and sexually assaulted her, city police alleged in an affidavit.
After the assault, Mims, 35, of 2405 Dove St., told the girl that "she belonged to him," and he then paid her "$500 cash, telling her not to say anything to anyone," the affidavit stated. In an interview with investigators in late March, the minor "estimated that she had such sexual encounters with Mims approximately 10 times. She said she would receive money from Mims in most cases. However, she went on to explain that Mims would give her less money if she didn't do what he liked or did not allow him to do (to her) what he liked," police alleged in the affidavit.
"Mims threatened the juvenile on several occasions, telling her she belonged to him and that nobody else could have her. He threatened to move in with her and ruin her life if she said anything to anyone," investigators alleged.
It is also alleged that Mims recorded a video of the two having sex, court documents stated.
Through their investigation, police say they learned that Mims allegedly engaged in sexual acts with at least two other teenage girls, both minors, and paid them. He also "solicited nude photos" from these two victims, police alleged in the affidavit.
One of the girls told police that she and Mims engaged in sexual acts with one another "on more than 20 separate occasions," the affidavit stated.
The same victim reported that on one occasion, when she refused to have sex with Mims in his vehicle, "he pulled a gun out and said something to the effect of 'You belong to me,'" the affidavit stated.
"Mims knowingly promoted the prostitution of three female minors by providing and permitting a place that he controlled to be used for individuals to have sex with the minors," the arresting officer alleged in a criminal complaint.
When charges were initially filed, all court records were sealed by a judge. However, the records just recently became public. Mims faces more than 250 criminal charges, including 25 counts each of statutory sexual assault, indecent assault and aggravated indecent assault, 75 counts of unlawful contact with minors, 60 counts of illegal use of a cellphone, 35 counts of sexual abuse of children, 24 counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, three counts each of trafficking in individuals and promoting prostitution as well as related offenses. Mims has been jailed in the Lycoming County Prison after a district judge denied him bail.