Five Sentenced to 63 ½ Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking 17-Year-Old in Texas
Lubbock, TX – In a disturbing case of sex trafficking, five individuals have been sentenced to a combined 63 ½ years in federal prison. The victims were a 17-year-old girl who was passed from trafficker to trafficker, beaten, and even branded by violent men.
The 17-year-old victim went missing from her apartment complex in Lubbock on Nov. 28, 2022. An investigation revealed that she was taken to Odessa to meet with known sex trafficker Cameron Phifer. The four of them then drove to Carlsbad, New Mexico, where they took sexually explicit photographs of the victim and posted ads for her sexual services online.
According to plea papers, Cameron Phifer continued to traffic the child until abandoning her at a hotel in Carlsbad in early January. On Jan. 15, Sarah Gonzales approached the victim in the hotel lobby, and later introduced her to Jaelind Fountaine, a known trafficker who went by the alias ‘Valentino.’
In an interview with law enforcement, the child said Mr. Fountaine arranged for meetings with clients, taught her how to engage in the sex trade, and took all the money she made – approximately $10,000. She said that she believed she would receive some of that money, but in the end, she never did.
The child told investigators that Mr. Fountaine physically assaulted her on multiple occasions, threatened to hurt her if she left him, and forced her to ‘brand’ herself with a ‘V’ tattoo to indicate his ownership of her. Law enforcement found photos of the tattoo on Mr. Fountaine’s phone.
U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton stated, ‘As a prosecutor and as a mother, my heart breaks for this teenager, who was passed from trafficker to trafficker like a piece of livestock, beaten and even branded by violent men looking to profit from her misery. No person, adult or child, should have to suffer like that.’
The defendants and their sentences include:
Jaelind Fountaine, 27, was sentenced to 327 months in prison for sex trafficking and attempted sex trafficking of a minor and required to register as a sex offender.
Sarah Gonzales, 26, was previously sentenced to 87 months for interstate transportation to engage in prostitution and required to register as a sex offender.
Cameron Phifer, 25, was sentenced to 240 months for distribution and receipt of child pornography and required to register as a sex offender.
Deryan Thomas, 33, was sentenced to 87 months for interstate transportation to engage in prostitution and required to register as a sex offender.
Bianka Vega, 23, was sentenced to 21 months for misprision (concealment) of a felony.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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