Simone Cherelle McIllwain, Sex Trafficking, North Carolina 2021

State: North Carolina
Category: Human Trafficking
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/convicted-sex-trafficker-sentenced-more-19-years" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A convicted sex trafficker from North Carolina has been handed a 19-year prison sentence, according to a recent announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Simone Cherelle McIllwain, 30, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 235 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor.

McIllwain’s sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney, who presided over the case in the Western District of North Carolina. The defendant was found guilty of sex trafficking a 13-year-old girl, who was introduced to McIllwain through a mutual acquaintance.

According to court documents, McIllwain began advertising the minor victim online for commercial sex in December 2019. The victim was forced to engage in sex acts at McIllwain’s hotel room, and the defendant kept a portion of the proceeds.

McIllwain’s offense was compounded by the fact that she was on supervised release at the time for a 2014 federal conviction in Florida. She was convicted of transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

The investigation into McIllwain’s activities was conducted by the FBI and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. U.S. Attorney Dena J. King praised the agencies for their work in bringing the defendant to justice.

McIllwain is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Lindahl prosecuted the case.

If you believe you are the victim of a human trafficking situation or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year.

Related Federal Cases