Indianapolis B Josh J. Minkler, the United States Attorney
for the Southern District of Indiana, announced today the convictions of
multiple offenders in two separate sex trafficking cases.
“Sex trafficking,
particularly of children, has no place in this country,” said Minkler. “Our
children should be able to grow up without being offered for sale by adults who
seek to profit from their vulnerability.”
In the first case, United States v. James Young, four
offenders were sentenced for their varying roles in trafficking four minors and
other adults over a two-year period beginning in 2013. Young’s trafficking did
not end until he was arrested in 2015. While he was on home detention and probation
for promoting prostitution, Young trafficked teenagers and prostituted adults
out of a motel on the Eastside of Indianapolis using online sex trafficking
forums. IMPD and the FBI first focused on Young when a child was arrested for
prostitution and she disclosed the ways in which Young had trafficked her. From
there, investigators put together their case using social media, online sex
trafficking advertisements, historical police reports, and motel records.
Young pleaded guilty to the sex trafficking of three minor
girls, operating a business enterprise that prostituted adults and children,
and illegal possession of a firearm. Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson sentenced
Young to 26 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. Young was
also ordered to pay a total of $450,000 in restitution to five victims.
Defendant Raheem Simmons pleaded guilty to interstate travel and transportation
in aid of racketeering activity, specifically the sex trafficking of a minor
child. He was also sentenced by Magnus-Stinson to a term of two years
imprisonment, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2000 in
restitution to an identified victim. Another defendant, in a sealed case,
pleaded guilty to her role in conspiring to prostitute adults and minors.
In the second case, United States v. Nahtahna Garcia
Herrera, four offenders were sentenced for their roles in trafficking two
identified minor children and prostituting other adults. Using two houses on
the Westside of Indianapolis, Garcia-Herrera and her co-defendants trafficked
children and prostituted adults in the fall of 2016. The FBI and IMPD, working
together, discovered that properties known as “the building” and “the sugar
shack” were places were illegal drugs were bought and sold, and that the purchase
and sale of these drugs was facilitated by prostitution. More concerning,
investigators found that teenage girls were being offered up online for
commercial sex acts. Their investigation led to the arrest of Garcia-Herrera
and her co-defendants on varying charges stemming from the criminal enterprise.
Defendant Garcia-Herrera was sentenced to 20 years in prison
for trafficking two minor girls by Judge Tanya Walton-Pratt. Defendant Vaughn
Isom pleaded guilty to interstate transportation and travel in aid of
racketeering for his role in promoting prostitution and the sale of illegal
narcotics. Judge Walton-Pratt sentenced him to a prison term of four years
and three years of supervised release.
Defendant Rhonda Badger has also pleaded guilty to the same charge as Isom and
is awaiting sentencing. Finally, defendant Tyrece Jones pleaded guilty to the
sex trafficking of a minor child and will be sentenced on July 27, 2018, by
Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
"The
exploitation of vulnerable youth is, unfortunately, a very real and growing
issue in our country and one the FBI simply will not tolerate,” said Grant
Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “We
will continue to work with our partners to identify and investigate those who
engage in this predatory behavior in order to ensure the safety of our
children.”
IMPD Chief Bryan Roach stated, "The physiological and
physical damage borne by the victims of this horrific crime is truly
unimaginable and heartbreaking and deserves the full attention of law
enforcement." Because of the tremendous investigative efforts and
collaborative spirit of both IMPD detectives and our federal partners, together
we hope to help victims restore their dignity and a greater sense of hope and prosperity."
Minkler further stated, “Teenagers are some of our most
vulnerable population. Caught between the innocence of childhood and on the
brink of being an adult, we must assure that teens do not fall prey to adults
with malicious intentions. The children in our community are not for sale, and
forcing or coercing adults to engage in acts of prostitution is repugnant.
These convictions should serve as a warning not only to sex traffickers, but
also to adults trying to pay for sex acts. It is a federal crime and we will
not stop seeking justice for these victims.”
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler
announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s
response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution
demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting those who exploit and
harm children and other vulnerable victims. See United States Attorney’s
Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 4.1
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment