SlaveryMap
Sex Trafficking

Lakewood, WA, United States

Juan Alexander Vianez, aka Nauj, age 26, from Lakewood, WA, and Las Vegas, Nevada. According to records in the case and testimony at trial, VIANEZ met the victim in this case when she was just a week past her 17th birthday. VIANEZ convinced the girl to become sexually involved with him. He then pressured her into prostitution to earn money for him. With threats and beatings he kept her isolated in the world of prostitution forcing her to work in Portland, Las Vegas and Arizona, and returning all money earned to him. As prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo, “On a nearly weekly basis over the course of four years, the defendant threatened (the victim) with harm, and assaulted her, including punching her in the face, the stomach and ribs. The beatings did not excuse (the victim) from prostituting; she just had to put on more make-up to cover up the bruises.” http://www.justice.gov/usao/waw/press/2010/sep/vianez.html

Location
United States · Lakewood, WA · 2010 (location generalized to protect survivors)
Response & intervention
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Lakewood Police Department, Tacoma Police Department and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Division Vianez was sentenced to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay over $1.3 million in restitution for sex trafficking, interstate transportation of a minor in furtherance of prostitution, interstate transportation in furtherance of prostitution and witness tampering. Vianez was convicted by a jury on September 23, 2009, following a six day trial in front of U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan. The victim was ultimately located and taken into custody on a federal material witness warrant in October 2008. VIANEZ was arrested at the same time and has been incarcerated ever since. Aftercare is not known, but Vianez was ordered to pay over $1.3 million in restitution.
Sources

Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). Use “Report a problem” below to add a source or flag an issue.

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