Two Georgia residents have been sentenced to a combined 15 years in federal prison for transporting a minor across state lines for prostitution. Savannah Grissum, 22, of Douglasville, Georgia, and Alonzo Dean Westmoreland, 31, of Kennesaw, Georgia, admitted to driving an underage victim from Georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they forced her into commercial sex acts for four days.
On August 5, 2020, U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier handed down the sentences in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Grissum received 78 months in prison followed by six years of supervised release. Westmoreland was sentenced to 108 months—nine years—plus the same six-year supervised release term. Both will be required to register as sex offenders in any state where they live, work, or attend school.
The case began in June 2018 when Cobb County Police reported a runaway juvenile. The FBI, alerted through its Atlanta and Chattanooga divisions, tracked the victim to a motel in Chattanooga. Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies and FBI agents raided the room and recovered the underage girl, who had been prostituted to pay for the pair’s lodging and personal expenses.
Grissum and Westmoreland pleaded guilty in September 2019 to one count each of transporting in interstate commerce an underage person for prostitution, a federal crime carrying severe penalties. Their admissions confirmed they exploited the victim for financial gain, using the proceeds to cover hotel costs and daily spending during their stay in Tennessee.
The investigation was led by FBI Special Agents Terrilynn James and Terri L. Green of the Chattanooga Division, and Nathan Whiteman of the Atlanta Division. Detective Robert Rush of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office played a key field role, with support from Cobb County Detectives Hunter Llewellyn and Ray Drew. Their coordinated effort dismantled a short but brutal trafficking operation spanning state lines.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Woods prosecuted the case in federal court. Authorities emphasized the sentencing sends a clear message: exploiting children for sex across state lines will be met with maximum federal consequences. The victim has been connected with long-term support services, while federal monitors will track Grissum and Westmoreland’s compliance with sex offender conditions upon release.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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