Kirkwood Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking
Will Receive 20 Years in Prison for Torturing Woman Who Was Coerced as Sex Slave

KANSAS CITY, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kirkwood, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the commercial sex trafficking of a young, mentally deficient woman who was coerced into being a sex slave for several years while she was tortured in a trailer home located in a wooded area in Lebanon, Mo.

Bradley Cook, also known as “PutHer2GoodUse,” 33, of Kirkwood, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to commercial sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.

From 2006 to 2009, Cook watched the victim, who is identified in court documents as “FV” (female victim), being sexually abused and tortured in live online sessions and as depicted in photos and videos that he downloaded from the Internet. Cook admitted that he traveled to Lebanon on multiple occasions during that time to engage in sessions of sexual acts and torture with the victim. In exchange, Cook paid the victim’s “master” for these sessions with such items as computer hard drives that contained images and videos of bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism, which he had downloaded from the Internet.

Cook was aware that the victim was coerced into these sexual acts and that she was unable or did not want to consent to any of these acts.

Cook also admitted he was aware of other men who engaged in sexual acts and torture with the victim. He witnessed the victim being whipped and locked in a dog cage, as well as being tied up and shocked with multiple electrical devices. Cook described the abuse suffered by the victim as the “most extreme” he had ever seen.

It was clear to Cook that the victim, who was referred to as “slave,” was “not that smart.” She did not have a good grasp of the English language, according to Cook, was totally dependant, meek, and lacked awareness.

Cook also admitted that he suggested ideas of how to make money off of the victim by selling images of her torture on a paid website. He provided new tips and techniques of how to torture and engage in sadistic sexual acts with females.

In today’s binding plea agreement, the government and Cook jointly recommend to the court a set sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. Cook must also pay restitution to the victim. In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, the court may impose a term of supervised release up to life. Cook must also forfeit to the government the computer media he used to commit the offense. Today’s plea agreement doesn’t provide Cook any credit for cooperating with the government.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the remaining charges contained in the indictment will be dismissed at sentencing and the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri has agreed to dismiss a related indictment for being a drug user in possession of a firearm. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Cook is the third defendant in this human trafficking case to plead guilty.

Co-defendant Dennis Henry, 51, of Wheatland, formerly the postmaster of Nevada, Mo., pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Henry also pleaded guilty to transporting the victim across state lines for sexual activity.

Henry admitted that he engaged in sex with the victim, and participated in torture sessions with FV that would last for hours. Henry saw pictures of FV’s vagina sewn shut, which he was told was a form of punishment. Henry also admitted that he visited FV at a Lebanon strip club where she was forced to work.

Under federal statutes, Henry is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $500,000 and an order of restitution.

Co-defendant James Noel, 45, of Springfield, also pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Noel admitted that he was one of the customers who sexually abused and tortured FV. Noel watched the victim being tortured and sometimes operated torture devices himself beginning in 2006, when she was approximately 20 years old. For example, Noel knew that FV hated being electrocuted with a crank phone (which was wired inside FV’s vaginal and anal openings and to her toes), which he described as “extremely painful,” but he used it on her anyway.

Under federal statutes, Noel is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cynthia L. Cordes, Paul Becker and John Cowles. It was investigated by the FBI in conjunction with the Human Trafficking Rescue Project.