A Nashville man will spend 30 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor and transportation of a minor for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.
According to the release from the Department of Justice, Tavarie Williams was given the lengthy sentence by U.S. District Judge Eli J. Richardson after being convicted of the crime last year.
“This is a fitting sentence for such egregious crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Wildasin. “I commend our law enforcement partners and prosecution team for their exceptional work in rescuing this child and seeking justice on her behalf. Disrupting human trafficking remains a priority of this Office and those who engage in this activity should expect that local, state, and federal law enforcement will devote their full resources to bringing them to justice.”
Williams, who was arrested in 2016, recruited the minor through an online website and trafficked the individual in cities across Tennessee.
“According to evidence and testimony at trial, in June and July 2016, Williams picked up a 12-year-old runaway girl in San Antonio, Texas, and posted ads on Backpage.com advertising her for prostitution. During this time, Williams transported the girl to Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee, for the purpose of having sex with Backpage clients. Evidence and testimony also established that Williams engaged in sexual intercourse with the 12-year-old as well,” the release from the DOJ explained.
Because of the prevalence of human trafficking, the Tennessee House of Representatives recently passed a resolution to honor the Mission America Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting the crime.
The group explains that “global human trafficking is a $150 billion dollar industry” and “1.2 million children are sold around the world annually.” Furthermore, the “United States is responsible for roughly 350,000 of those children.”
— — —
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
