Collin Cowell, Sex Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2018

Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Sex Trafficking of Children

A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in a sex trafficking ring that exploited young girls. Collin Cowell, also known as ‘Tyson,’ was convicted in March 2018 of sex trafficking and aiding and abetting the sex trafficking of three minor children, two of whom were only 15 years old.

Cowell, 29, was also convicted of distributing child pornography after posting a sexually explicit image of two of the young girls on backpage.com, a website used by Cowell and his co-defendants to advertise the minors for commercial sex acts with sex buyers.

The victims, who were forced to engage in commercial sex acts, were financially benefited by Cowell’s scheme. The defendant not only led the trafficking operation, but also trained those working under him to engage in sex trafficking.

Cowell was sentenced to 324 months’ incarceration and 20 years’ supervised release by United States District Court Judge J. Curtis Joyner. He is also required to register as a sex offender.

‘Cowell’s crimes were devastating to his minor victims,’ said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. ‘Today’s sentence of almost three decades incarceration reflects the seriousness of his crimes and the irrevocable damage he caused, all in pursuit of financial gain.’

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melanie Babb Wilmoth.

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