Sex Trafficking2008
United States US
In early 2007, Jerome Eugene Todd, 28, recruited a female victim to work as a prostitute in Lynnwood, Washington. TODD and an indicted co-defendant photographed the woman and posted her pictures on the internet through Craigslist offering commercial sex acts. TODD set the prices for the sex acts, and provided the female victim with cell phones so he could manage her activities. He told the victim that she needed to follow his rules, and threatened to beat her. On three occasions he beat the woman and grabbed her by the throat. Also in 2007, he trafficked the woman to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he had her work as a prostitute. In July 2007, TODD recruited a second victim to work as a prostitute, also in Lynnwood, Washington. He controlled all of her activities, set strict rules, and threatened her repeatedly. He directed her to respond to prostitution calls, and to hand over all of the money to him. He did not allow the second woman to contact family or friends. On two occasions, he assaulted her when she attempted to disobey his rules and to escape. In September 2007, TODD enticed a third victim to work as a prostitute. Similar to the first and second victims, he had this woman’s photograph posted on Craigslist, advertising services for sex. TODD again imposed harsh rules that the woman had to abide by, and would assault her when he believed that she was intending, or did, violate his rules. He also physically blocked her from leaving him by requiring this woman to place all of their assets and financial debts in her name to compel her to work for him. TODD used the proceeds from these three women to rent rooms at motels and apartments, purchase condoms, lubricants, cell phones, airplane tickets, and lingerie, and placed ads in Seattle Weekly. He also used the criminal proceeds to support a lavish lifestyle, and purchased high-end jewelry and clothing. Todd may have used some of the profits to make back child support payments. He owes more than $70,000 to seven different women for his kids, all under the age of 7, according to court records filed in Snohomish County Superior Court. Records show that Todd made payments during the months he allegedly ran the prostitution ring. Some of those payments were as little as $5. One woman told detectives Todd stashed his money in boxes at home, afraid if he used a bank the state would seize his earnings to pay off his back child support. Todd also faces additional charges for allegations that he violated the conditions of his federal probation. Todd was convicted of bank fraud in 2004 and has been under federal supervision since then. Todd also has a warrant for his arrest for failing to make complete child support payments. Todd describes himself as a "private caregiver" who sometimes has trouble collecting from his clients. He doesn't have any employment history. His probation officer noted that Todd often arrives in lavish vehicles driven by different women and always has money on him, according the search warrant. Two of the women who worked for Todd believe he may have earned up to $300,000 during the past two years.
Sex Trafficking2008
United States US
Detectives had been investigating for 8 months. They had watched male customers going in and out, followed the presumed manager and associates and shadowed the person they believed to be the manager, a 45 year old woman referred to as Coco, as she took bags of cash to the bank. Once in November and again in January, an undercover detective posed as a customer and was offered a sex act inside the Red Dragon Spa. One of the women told an undercover detective that she was from China and had been in the U.S. for two years. Authorities were suspicious as to whether she and the others were immigrants forced to work as prostitutes by organized crime groups to repay the costs of the trip, court documents say. Authorities arrested one of the women on immigration violation but were not considering it a trafficking case, according to a spokeswoman for I.C.E. The investigation was buttressed by complaints to the Kirkland Police Department. One woman filed a police report after discovering that her boyfriend had visited the Kirkland spa three times and paid for sex acts. A man also tipped police, saying his ex-girlfriend, the manager, was providing sexual services inside the parlor, court documents say. I.C.E. also received a tip that the spa manager had a friend who is an immigration lay attorney, who would help Chinese women obtain papers to come to the U.S. where they would work as prostitutes. The tipster said the girls obtained fake credentials as nurses or teachers before coming to the U.S. and that the spa owner frequently picks up new employees at the airport.
Sex Trafficking2010
United States US
Marquin Thompson pleaded guilty in January to forcing a then 19-year-old woman into prostitution after the woman had become estranged from her family, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office media release. She has since been reunited with her family. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour imposed the sentence. Thompson also took the woman to Arizona and California where he forced her to work as a prostitute. According to records filed in the case, between September 2007 and January 2008, Thompson forced the woman to work for him as a prostitute along Pacific Highway South. He controlled the woman with threats of violence. She was expected to make hundreds of dollars each day and required to turn over all of her earnings to Thompson.