Four men were sentenced today in connection with a sex trafficking ring in Metro Atlanta that lured Mexican girls into the country with the promise of a better life and then forced them into prostitution.
Mr. Juan Cortes-Meza, 33, of Mexico; Mr. Raul Cortes-Meza, 22, of Mexico; Mr. Edison Wagner Rosa Tort, 71, of Cartersville, Ga., and Mr. Otto Jaime Larios Perez, 27, of Guatemala were part of the organization that lured the women with promises of legitimate employment, or romantic relationships, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
“Those who enslave and sell young women for sex, or who profit from it, must be held accountable," U.S. Attorney Mrs. Sally Quillian Yates said. "Nothing we can do will fully restore these victims from the harm they suffered at the hands of these criminals, but we will do everything in our power to stop others from being abused.”
From Spring 2006 through June 2008, these defendants recruited and enticed approximately 10 victims to come to the Atlanta area from Mexico and then forced them into prostitution, Mrs. Yates said in a press release.
Conspirators like Mr. Juan Cortes-Meza were responsible for luring the victims in from Mexico, according to investigatos. Drivers, such as Mr. Perez, Mr. Raul Cortes-Meza and Mr. Tort, would collect the victims from the homes where they lived with the defendants in Norcross and drove them to apartments and homes where paying clients waited for sex, Mrs. Yates said.
In one incident, Mr. Juan Cortes-Meza smuggled a 17-year-old female into the United States by falsely promising that he would help her find employment in a restaurant or as a housekeeper, officials said.
The victim was thereafter compelled to engage in sex acts with numerous men every night, and to give Mr. Cortes-Meza the money she collected. Mr. Cortes-Meza controlled the victim’s daily life and was physically violent with her, the U.S. Attorney said.
Mr. Raul Cortes-Meza harbored and transported a victim and forced her to engage in sex acts, Mrs. Yates said. He would then collect the money, which he shared with other co-conspirators, she said.
Mr. Tort took a victim from the Cortes-Meza trafficking ring and kept her in Cartersville, Ga., where he forced her to perform sex acts against her will, officials said.
Mr. Perez pleaded guilty to making false statements to law enforcement after he was intercepted with a victim in his car and told investigators she was a family member. He also said he had never driven anyone to any location for prostitution.
In fact, officials said, Mr. Perez had driven at least six of the young Mexican women to locations to engage in prostitution.
? Mr. Juan Cortes-Meza pled guilty July 30, 2009 to sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl and importation of an alien for immoral purposes. He was sentenced to 16 years, 8 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $57,600.
?Mr. Raul Cortes-Meza pled guilty Feb. 5, 2009 to sex trafficking of a juvenile. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $7,000.
?Mr. Rosa Tort pled guilty Sept. 16, 2008 to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force or coercion. He was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $57,000.
?Mr. Larios Perez pled guilty July 30, 2009 to making a false statement to investigators regarding the sex trafficking ring run by the Cortes-Mez family. He was sentenced to two years, six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $3,600.
In order to bring defendants to justice, victims of crime may be eligible for immigration status in the United States to assist in the prosecution, officials said.
Six of the victims in this case addressed the court about what they suffered at the hands of this sex trafficking ring, which included physical threats, beatings, and intimidation, according to the press release.
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