Cecil Jerome Hatchett, Transportation of a Person with Intent to Engage in Prostitution, Montana 2021

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California Man Sentenced for Aiding Sex Trafficking in Billings

BILLINGS, MT – In a disturbing case of sex trafficking, a California man has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in transporting a minor for prostitution in Billings, Montana.

Cecil Jerome Hatchett, 32, of Carmichael, California, pleaded guilty in January to transportation of a person with intent to engage in prostitution. His co-defendant, Ashley Stella, of Reno, Nevada, was previously sentenced to eight years in prison for transportation of a minor to engage in prostitution.

According to court documents, Hatchett arranged and aided the transportation of Stella and a minor girl, identified as Jane Doe, to travel to Montana and elsewhere to engage in commercial sex. In April 2021, law enforcement responded to a call by Quality Inn staff in Billings about possible commercial sex activity. Upon arrival, officers found an individual emerging from the motel room while buttoning up his shirt and Stella and Jane Doe in the room.

Law enforcement interviewed all three individuals and determined that the individual had responded to an ad in setting up the meeting and that Stella and the individual had corresponded about the potential sex encounter before he arrived in the room. Stella later admitted that when law enforcement arrived, she was in the midst of a commercial sex encounter.

The government further alleged that these events triggered a federal investigation into allegations of sex trafficking. Investigators found electronic messages between Hatchett and Stella discussing commercial sex appointments, including those that involved Jane Doe. Hatchett also had rented the car that Stella and Jane Doe used to travel to Montana.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno B. Baucus and Bryan T. Dake prosecuted the case. The FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Billings Police Department, Reno, Nevada Police Department, and IRS conducted the investigation.

Hatchett’s sentencing marks a significant step in the fight against sex trafficking in Montana. The case serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of human exploitation and the importance of continuing to work together to bring perpetrators to justice.