Dallas man Tremont Blakemore sentenced to 20 years for sex trafficking
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — A man who went by the name "Macknificent" was given the statutory maximum sentence on Thursday after pleading guilty in April to running a violent sex trafficking organization.
Tremont Blakemore, now 43, was sentenced on Oct. 6 to spend the next 20 years behind bars and remain under supervision for the rest of his life for sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion. He was originally charged in Sept. 2019 and pleaded guilty in court on April 27, 2022.
Blakemore was also ordered to surrender a number of valuable items purchased using money stolen from his victims to the government, including several Rolex watches, diamonds, and gold jewelry. One of the trophies was engraved with "Playa of the Year."
HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. said, "For the next twenty years, Mr. Blakemore will have time to reflect on the pain he caused those he subjugated for his own selfish gains. Our hope is that the victims he forcefully manipulated will begin the healing process now that he is no longer a threat to society."
In plea papers, Blakemore admitted to running a large human trafficking operation. He used threats of brutal violence to force women to engage in commercial sex for his own financial gain.
Blakemore would convince women to travel across the country to engage in commercial sex and posted ads for them on websites like Backpage.com. He demanded that the women turn over all their money to him, and required them to ask permission for personal expenditures.
When his victims disobeyed Blakemore's rules, which included leaving the house without permission and keeping money for themselves, he used violence to coerce them into submission. Victims said Blakemore slapped, punched, choked, kicked, and burned them with cigarettes.
"I'm going to make an example out of someone soon," he wrote in a group text message to victims. "I will not continue to tolerate disrespect that's one of my biggest pet peeves."
Blakemore used the money confiscated from the women to purchase luxury goods in order to appear successful to other potential victims. He flaunted his wealth to impress other traffickers and bragged about his success as a pimp.
