Lebanon, MO, United States
James Noel, 44, of Springfield, Mo, and 4 other men still awaiting trial James Noel, 45, of Springfield, MO pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, which he had been federally indicted for on September 7, 2010 Noel is expected to testify in the trials of the other defendants It was advertized online that the victim could be sexually tortured during live online sessions or in person. The indictment states that Noel participated in this conspiracy as a customer who paid to sexually abuse and torture the victim. Noel paid $300 to watch the victim tortured, and to sexually abuse and torture the victim. Vulnerability- According to a plea agreement, Noel described the victim as mentally delayed for her age. He believed she lacked the ability to communicate normally and had a limited vocabulary. Noel admitted that the victim did not have any ability to offer an opinion or refuse to follow orders. The victim a 16-year old runaway who had grown up in foster care homes and who suffered from mental deficiencies was enticed into a trailer home in Dec. 2002, and the victim was promised that she would be helped to become a model or a dancer. She was given her own bedroom and provided clothes and food. She was given marijuana and ecstasy, showed images of pornography and sadomasochism activities, and was sexually abused. Noel described the crank phone and another electrical device that was used to torture the victim as “extremely painful.” Noel electrocuted the victim with the crank phone himself and sometimes two men tortured the victim with crank phones at the same time. These devices were wired inside the victim’s vaginal and anal openings and to her toes. Noel admitted that he paid $300 for a special “show” that lasted two or three hours and included these sex acts.