November 9, 2015

Henderson County, Kentucky Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Human Trafficking

OWENSBORO, KY—A Henderson County, Kentucky, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr., to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to human trafficking for recruiting two minors to engage in commercial sex acts, announced U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.

“Prosecution of those who exploit the young and vulnerable in our community is a top priority of this Office,” stated U.S. Attorney Kuhn. “We know that every instance of human trafficking forces the victims into a crucible of suffering. We also know this crime is occurring far more than it’s being reported. I hope today’s sentence not only sends a message to potential traffickers, but also shines a light on this underreported and heinous crime.”

According to the plea agreement, beginning in March 2014, defendant Jathar Williams, who was then 31 years old, made contact with a female who was then 15 years old, through Tagged, a social networking website. Williams arranged to meet the 15-year-old female and her 17-year-old female friend. Williams picked them up in Evansville, Indiana, and drove them to his residence in Henderson and told the minor females he could help them make between $700 and $800 a day performing commercial sex acts.

Williams admitted that between March 16, 2014 and March 21, 2014, he drove the two minor females to the Sugar Creek Inn in Henderson where he arranged for men to come to the hotel to engage in sex acts with the two minor females in exchange for money.

Williams admitted that he knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, and maintained by any means, the two minor females, who had not attained the age of 18 years, and caused the minors to engage in commercial sex acts.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Gregory and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Henderson, Kentucky Police Department.