Rasul Abernathy, Sex Trafficking of a Child, Pennsylvania 2013

A Coatesville man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a heinous crime that has shaken the community – sex trafficking of a child.

Rasul Abernathy, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a child before Senior United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.

According to court documents, Abernathy knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided and obtained a minor, John Doe, to engage in commercial sex acts. The abuse took place between December 2012 and March 2013.

The law provides for a total mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. However, as part of a plea agreement with the government, Abernathy agreed to a sentence of 10 years of imprisonment.

The investigation that led to Abernathy’s prosecution was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County Police Department, and the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

Abernathy is scheduled to be sentenced on January 8, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. The community is breathing a sigh of relief as justice is finally being served in this disturbing case.

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