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Press Release

Long-Time Seattle Area Pimp Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Juvenile

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington
One-Time Associate Of “West Side Mobb” Gang Continued Criminal Conduct In Jail

A long-time Seattle area pimp was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 10 years in prison and 25 years of supervised release for Sex Trafficking of a Child, announced Acting United States Attorney Annette L. Hayes.  DESMOND TREVAIN MANAGO, 26, pleaded guilty in September 2014, admitting that he forced a juvenile female to engage in prostitution in Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona, and California.  At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “Sex trafficking of children is seen as one of the worst crimes. . . You are affecting someone’s life forever.”

“Like the countless pimps who came before him, this defendant was manipulative and predatory,” said Acting United States Attorney Annette L. Hayes.  “He viewed his victims as commodities that earned him money, and has spent his entire adult life exploiting troubled young women for his financial gain.  The prison term and the federal supervision imposed by the court will produce long-term protection against future exploitation of vulnerable victims by this defendant.”

According to records in the case, between October and December 2012, MANAGO used force, fraud and coercion to cause a juvenile female victim to engage in commercial sex acts.  MANAGO advertised the juvenile victim on Backpage.com and also forced her to “walk the track” – an area known for prostitution.  The juvenile victim was forced to give MANAGO all the money she earned.  In November 2012, MANAGO, accompanied by one of his family members, drove the juvenile victim and an adult woman to other states to work as prostitutes.  MANAGO posted advertisements of his victims on Backpage.com in the different states and physically assaulted the adult victim.  MANAGO left his victims in California and instructed them to wire their prostitution earnings to him in Seattle.  Once MANAGO left the juvenile victim in California she broke free from his control.

MANAGO was prosecuted in King County Superior Court in 2009 as a member of the West Side Street Mobb – a gang that forced girls into prostitution to make money.  MANAGO was sentenced to 30 months in prison.  After he finished his prison sentence, he returned to the King County Jail for various violations.  Jail records show that he continued to run his prostitution business while incarcerated, forcing women to pay some of their prostitution earnings to him while he was locked up.

MANAGO was arrested October 3, 2013 during a traffic stop for outstanding warrants.  He was transferred to federal custody a year ago.

The case was investigated by the FBI, King County Sheriff’s Office and Tacoma Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham and Ye-Ting Woo.

Updated December 18, 2015

Topic
Human Trafficking