A Jamaican man was on Thursday sentenced to more than 11 years in a United States (US) federal prison after he conspired with another man to traffic a 16-year-old girl for commercial sexual activities.
Joel Lindsay, alias 'Joey Guapo', a 24-year-old, who last resided in East Hartford, Connecticut, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor on October 15, 2021.
In addition to being jailed for 135 months for the offence by US District Judge Vanessa L Bryant in Hartford, Lindsay will face immigration proceedings after his incarceration.
The US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut said that based on court documents and statements made in court, in October 2019, Lindsay conspired with his associate, Joseph Pina, to recruit, entice and transport a 16-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts.
On one specific date - October 17, 2019 - Lindsay, Pina and another individual brought the minor to a hotel in East Windsor, where they took photographs of her and posted them on a website to advertise her sexual services.
The Jamaican and Pina went on to arrange clients for the minor that night. She eventually earned at least US$100 from the prostitution appointments that day, all of which she gave to Lindsay.
Over the next three days, the sex traffickers posted more advertisements online for the minor and arrangements were subsequently made for sexual activities involving the teenager and customers.
"The victim again gave all of the money earned through these appointments to Lindsay," the US Attorney's Office stated.
The probe into these acts of prostitution also revealed that Lindsay and Pina engaged the minor in sexual activity, even though they knew that she was under the age of 18.
The victim also told investigators that she was physically assaulted by Lindsay, who was eventually arrested on August 20, 2020.
He has remained in detention since that time.
Pina was eventually arrested and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, for which he was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment on March 2, 2022.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Angel M Krull.
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