A Portsmouth man has been sentenced to 32 years in prison for his role in a sex trafficking operation that victimized a 16-year-old girl.
Pierre De Romeo Smith, 40, was convicted of sex trafficking, production of child pornography, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court records, Smith met the victim on April 30, 2022, and took sexually explicit photographs of her, including pictures of her posed with the muzzle of a shotgun in her mouth.
He then posted these pictures on a commercial sex website, advertising her for commercial sex. Over the course of three weeks, Smith made the victim available for commercial sex with up to 30 ‘dates’ a night throughout the Hampton Roads area.
Smith also gave the victim amphetamines to keep her awake and confiscated the money from her dates. When law enforcement arrested Smith, they found multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well as a Glock handgun in his car.
After his arrest, Smith ‘green lit’ the victim, meaning he approved for her to be killed. The victim relayed this information to law enforcement, who corroborated the ‘green light’ through two separate confidential sources.
Smith was a leader in the Imperial Gangster Bloods gang and had ordered an associate to carry out the hit. He also stated that no one would testify against him at trial.
A federal jury convicted Smith on April 6, 2023, and U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wilson Hanes handed down the 32-year sentence.
The case was investigated by the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Related Federal Cases
- Corderro Cody Indicted for Sex Trafficking, Philadelphia PA, 2023 · Virginia
- Ashley Onysko, Human Trafficking and Sex Trafficking, Avon Lake OH,… · Virginia
- Jeremy Mack, Sex Trafficking and Drug Offenses, Elyria OH, 2023 · West Virginia
- Robert Pollard, Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Holland OH, 2023 · West Virginia
- Jeffrey Phares, Cemetery Fraud, West Virginia, 2023 · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Human Trafficking|Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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