Cleveland Woman Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of a Child
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 01, 2012 |
A Cleveland woman was sentenced to 11 years in prison today after previously pleading guilty to sex trafficking, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office.
Pearline Richardson, 41, was sentenced to 132 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David Dowd.
“I hope that everyone who sees this sentence will realize that these cases have nothing to do with ‘prostitution,’” Dettelbach said. “They are about commercialized rape, and the punishments are going to continue to reflect that reality. While this specific case took place in Cleveland, we know these cases are all around us, in cities and suburbs, houses and hotel rooms.”
Anthony said, “These are heartbreaking cases in which children are forced into the commercial sex trade. The FBI is committed to working with our partners to end human trafficking and get help for these victims.”
Richardson pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. The conduct detailed in those four charges occurred in 2011 and involves a minor under the age of 18.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.