Montgomery Man Gets 10+ Years for Sex Trafficking Minor

MONTGOMERY, AL – Jamecko Rontae Thomas, 45, of Montgomery, Alabama, will spend over a decade in federal prison after being sentenced to 130 months for sex trafficking a minor. The sentence, handed down today by a federal judge, reflects the gravity of his crime and a clear message from federal authorities that such exploitation will not be tolerated.

According to court records stemming from his guilty plea, Thomas engaged in a commercial sex act with a female under the age of 18 in July 2021 at a Montgomery hotel. The encounter was arranged by a co-defendant, and Thomas admitted to knowing the victim was a minor, acting with reckless disregard for her age. Further damning, Thomas confessed to awareness of prior instances of commercial sex acts facilitated by his accomplice, and to the use of narcotics to control victims.

“Sex trafficking is a terrible crime—one that scars its victims for a lifetime,” stated United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. “This prosecution should send a clear message that my office will hold all individuals accountable for their participation in child sex trafficking and child exploitation, whether they are the traffickers or merely patrons.” Ross’s statement underscores a growing federal effort to target not only those who directly exploit children, but also those who create the demand for such horrific acts.

Thomas will also serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence. Crucially, federal inmates are ineligible for parole, meaning he will serve the full 130 months imposed by the judge. The case was prosecuted under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Project Safe Childhood leverages the resources of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify, apprehend, and prosecute perpetrators of child exploitation, as well as to rescue victims. The initiative focuses heavily on online exploitation, but extends to cases like Thomas’s, demonstrating a commitment to tackling all forms of child sex trafficking. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The investigation into this case was a collaborative effort led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys J. Patrick Lamb and Tara S. Ratz were responsible for the prosecution, ensuring that Thomas faced justice for his reprehensible actions. This conviction serves as a stark warning: the exploitation of children will be met with the full force of the law.