On July 16, 2009, Randal G. Jennings, 43, of Chillicothe, MO pleaded guilty to the commercial sex trafficking of children. Jennings admitted that he attempted to recruit five child victims to work for him as prostitutes. After recruiting the girls to motel rooms, he had the children pose for sexually explicit photos, which he used to advertise the children for sexual services on Internet Web sites. Jennings pimped out the girls for years, including one victim who was prostituted from the ages of 14 to 17. Jennings considered himself a "nice pimp," according to the Star. Addressing the judge, Jennings said he thought the girls were college-age students. He also said he placed their ads on Craigslist and another Internet site so they could meet clients in nice hotels, not on the rough streets. He also said prosecutors had overcharged his case. "I did research on human sex trafficking, and this doesn't fit," Jennings said. "What I did barely qualifies for it." Jennings was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010, to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
Location
United States · Chillicothe, Missouri, USA · 2011
(location generalized to protect survivors) Response & intervention
Jennings was arrested on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009, following an undercover prostitution sting at a motel in Johnson County, Kan. Responding to an ad on the Internet, an undercover law enforcement officer arranged to meet two girls for sexual activity. Shortly afterward, Jennings dropped off two minor females at the agreed location. The two females, who were each 17 years old, agreed to perform sexual acts for $300. They were taken into protective custody. Jennings returned afterward, driving the same white van in which he had earlier brought the minors to the hotel, and was arrested. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia L. Cordes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department in conjunction with the Human Trafficking Rescue Project.
The minor victims were caught in prostitution stings conducted by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department. With the exception of one occasion, Jennings was also caught driving the girls to the motel sting locations. In each of the stings, the minors agreed to perform sexual services for the undercover law enforcement officer in exchange for monetary payment.
Aftercare, if any, was not reported. On October 6, 2010, the court took advisement the government’s request that Jennings pay $882,650 in restitution to his victims ($176,530 for each of five victims) and indicated it would rule on that issue at a later date.
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