Travon Jarvel Jackson, 37, of Tampa, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 15 years’ imprisonment. Jackson had been previously found guilty following trial of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; and interstate transportation for prostitution.
Between May and August of 2016, Jackson manipulated and coerced the victim, a woman from Tampa, Fla., into performing acts of prostitution in both Florida and Arizona. Jackson posted advertisements for the victim on www.Backpage.com and kept all of the money derived from the victim’s acts of prostitution. Jackson controlled the victim by withholding food, money, and property from her in order to coerce her into performing commercial sex acts, and physically assaulted her to gain her compliance. Jackson forced the victim to travel to Tucson against her will, where he continued to use her to engage in prostitution for which he kept the profits. The victim escaped Jackson by contacting a human trafficking victim rescue service, which she had seen advertised on a billboard, from a motel room in Tucson where Jackson had been keeping her to perform acts of prostitution.