A 30-year-old Flint, Michigan, woman has been sentenced to five years in prison for her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy that victimized a minor, transporting her from Tennessee to Illinois, Louisiana, and Texas.
Latesha Gardner and her boyfriend, Charles Cunigan, were found guilty of conspiring to sex traffic the minor victim, using force, fraud, and coercion. Gardner taught the victim how to pose provocatively for photos used in online sex advertisements.
Read: Pregnant Woman Kidnapped By Ex-Boyfriend In Michigan, Dramatic Rescue Unfolds
She also participated in commercial sex acts with the minor and provided instructions.
If the victim resisted Cunigan’s demands, he would physically abuse her, and sometimes directed Gardner to do the same.
In addition to prison time, Gardner has been ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution to the victim. She will also be required to register as a sex offender upon her release.
Gardner’s sentencing follows her guilty plea in June. Her co-conspirator, Cunigan, also pleaded guilty to related charges and is awaiting sentencing.
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