COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man faces 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to forcing a 16-year-old girl into prostitution.
Valerio Alexander, 45, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to a sex trafficking charge, according to a release from the office of District Attorney Carter Stewart.
Alexander admitted to pimping out the teenager through an online ad, providing her with an apartment and drugs while she performed sex acts for money.
According to court documents, a task force officer working for Homeland Security Investigations received a tip in March that a 16-year-old had been the victim of sex trafficking. Further investigation found that Alexander had photographed the girl in February and used the pictures to create advertisements for prostitution on a website, Stewart said.
Carter says Alexander ordered the victim to stay at a Columbus apartment, where he provided condoms and marijuana to “calm her nerves” while followed his instructions to engage in sexual activity for money.
Agents arrested Alexander on March 8.
Alexander and Thomasina Howard were indicted in April. Howard pleaded guilty on August 9 to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children and is scheduled for sentencing on February 13, Stewart said.