Jury Finds Guilty Verdict In Sex Trafficking Case
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Edward Andre Washington was convicted Friday by a Hennepin County jury to two counts of promotion of prostitution/sex trafficking, and one count of kidnapping.
The jury also found evidence of bodily harm to the victim, which enhances the sentence. The victim was kidnapped from Duluth, held against her will for a week, and forced into prostitution before she was able to escape.
Washington prostituted the girl in Schaumberg, Ill., and in Minneapolis and set up ads on Backpage.com, booked hotel rooms and took all of the proceeds.
When the victim resisted and turned customers away, she was pushed down and dragged across the room. She was only able to escape after being left alone in the hotel room.
After the victim fled, she ended up at Youthlink, which contacted the Minneapolis Police Department.
Washington will be sentenced at a date yet to be determined.
