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A man accused of trafficking a teenage girl at a Virginia hotel has been sentenced to 32 years in prison, federal officials said.
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A 16-year-old girl was rescued from sex trafficking in Virginia, but her alleged trafficker tried to kill her, federal officials said.
Pierre de Romeo Smith, 40, Now sentenced The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said on June 13 that he would be sentenced to a maximum of 32 years in prison.
McClatchy News reached out to his attorney on June 14 but did not immediately receive a response.
In April this year, Smith was found guilty of seven counts. Sex trafficking chargesFederal officials said the charges include production of child pornography, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and illegal possession of a firearm.
Investigators said in an affidavit that Smith first met the teen around May 1, 2022, and took pornographic photos of her for commercial pornography websites.
He is accused of giving her ecstasy to help her stay awake while arranging her for “dates” in the Hampton Roads area over the next few weeks and pocketing the money.
The Virginia Beach Police Department said it received a tip about a sex trafficking operation at a hotel on the beach. Law enforcement officers found a matching listing on a pornographic website, and an undercover detective arranged to meet with her on May 19, officials said.
Prosecutors said another man was seen leaving the hotel room before the two met and was arrested by Virginia Beach police. When questioned, the man told police he paid the girl $200 to have sex with her, police said.
Undercover officers went to the 11th floor of the hotel and met with the teen there. After both parties agreed to a price of $350, the arrest team entered the room and detained the teen for questioning, prosecutors said.
While they were both in the hotel room, Smith texted the teen to say he had arrived. Detectives found him inside the hotel with his room key in hand and arrested him, police said.
About a month later, the teen turned to law enforcement, saying that Smith, the alleged gang leader, “agreed” to kill her because she cooperated with the investigation.
Virginia Beach is located in the southeastern part of the state, near the North Carolina border.
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