Hartford, Connecticut, USA, United States
Jarell Sanderson, 31,of New Britain, CT forced two 14 year old girls to work as prostitutes. He pleaded guilty in January 2011 to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children and two counts of sex trafficking of children. Sanderson's codefendant, Hassanah Delia, 24, of East Hartford pleaded guilty in December 2010 to two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. The two girls, both 14, had run away from a state Dept. of Children and Families (DCF) shelter in 2009, according to information provided in a release by the U.S. Attorney's office. After running away from the shelter, the teens went to Sanderson and Delia for help, according to court documents. Sanderson and Delia used Internet ads to sell the girls for sex at hotels and motels in Hartford and East Hartford. Prosecutors said the teens resisted, but Sanderson threatened to kill them. According to prosecutors, Delia convinced the two girls to join the escort business she participated in by telling them that they would make money. Delia would receive phone calls for sex and send the girls, while Sanderson posted the internet ads on the website Cityvibe, using fake names for the teens, but real pictures of them. In court documents, the girls said they called Delia "Ma" and Sanderson "Pa". The pair would provide alcohol and marijuana for the girls before taking them to the hotels to perform sex acts, prosecutors said.