As human trafficking prevention month comes to a close, two men have been sentenced on sex trafficking charges.
United States Attorney William C. Lamar and Christopher Freeze, with the FBI, announced that Ricky Robertson a.k.a. “Slick Rick” and Ladarius Jackson, a.k.a. “Dee Don” have been sentenced on sex trafficking charges in Federal Court in Oxford.
Robertson previously entered a guilty plea on count one of the indictment (Sex Trafficking Conspiracy) and was sentenced to serve 15.5 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Jackson previously entered a guilty plea on count three of the indictment (Travelling in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Prostitution) and was sentenced to serve nearly three years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Both Robertson and Jackson admitted to transporting prostitutes from Memphis, Tennessee to Oxford in order to engage in commercial sex acts.
Robertson admitted to trafficking the prostitutes through fraud and coercion by controlling the money they earned from the commercial sex.
Following the sentencing, Lamar said that it is important to continue the fight against human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is not a victimless crime,” Lamar said. “Women, many of whom are very young, are often coerced into prostitution by predators, taken advantage of, and are frequently victims of violence. Along with federal, state and local law enforcement, we will continue to address this problem in our District and prosecute those responsible.”
Freeze also issued a statement saying that it is up to everyone to remain vigilant in an effort to put an end to sex trafficking.
“Human trafficking steals the innocence from our children and young women, and the individuals who prey upon the vulnerable need to be removed from our society,” Agent Freeze said. “Human trafficking victims often feel pressured with the threat of violence toward them or their families, giving them the false reality that prostitution is their only means of making a living. We ask the public to be vigilant to the signs of human trafficking and notify law enforcement when they see what they believe is the unconscionable act of buying and selling human beings.”
