David Wills, 67-year-old founder and part-owner of embattled Texas shrimp larvae supplier Global Blue Technologies, has been convicted of sex trafficking of a minor female, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
From 2012 to 2015, the aquaculture company owner conspired with a person named Maria Losoya and trafficked a young girl beginning when she was only 10 years of age, according to the DOJ.
Losoya and Wills used their cell phones to arrange meetings at several different locations where Wills would sexually assault the victim.
The jury heard testimony that Wills promised to pay for the victim’s college tuition if Losoya allowed him to sexually assault the young girl.
Shrimp supplier connected to virus outbreak
In September IntraFish broke the story that Global Blue Technologies was linked to one of several virus outbreaks that have occurred at farms in the United States and Canada in recent months.
Several sources have confirmed with IntraFish that Global Blue provided the post larvae (PL) shrimp earlier this year they believe is linked to outbreaks of the infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) at land-based facilities that included NaturalShrimp in the United States as well as a land-based facility in Canada.
While the company has neither confirmed nor denied its link to the virus, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department confirmed with IntraFish that it was notified in May by the company that one of its raceways tested positive for IHHNV.
