Chicago Man Charged With Trafficking Minors For Sex
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A 24-year-old Chicago man was charged with trafficking minors for sex — including bringing one of the minors from Wisconsin to Illinois to be a prostitute, according to charges announced Monday.
Carl Brandon Smith, known as "Moo," was arrested last week and prosecutors are asking that he remain behind bars until his trial. Smith, 24, will have a detention hearing on Thursday.
Smith allegedly forced the victims to engage in commercial sex acts and transported one of the minors across the Wisconsin border to engage in prostitution in Illinois.
Smith was charged in a five-count indictment including: two counts of sex-trafficking of a minor and by force, two counts of sex-trafficking by force, and one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in prostitution.
Just last week, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Kocoras sentenced Chicago pimp Datqunn Sawyer to 50 years behind bars. It was believed to be the stiffest penalty ever for a convicted sex trafficker in federal court in Chicago.
Smith's charges say he forced one minor to engage in commercial sex acts between August and November 2010, and he engaged in sex-trafficking of another minor, referred to as "Victim B" between February and July 2011 after transporting Victim B from Wisconsin to Illinois. The indictment also says that Smith forced Victims C and D, both 18 or older at the time, to prostitute themselves beginning in 2011 through just last month.
All five counts carry a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years to a maximum of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The FBI and Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force took part in the investigation.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
