"The defendant in this case took advantage of numerous young women by enticing them with promises of modeling contracts and then using force, threats, and coercion to force them to work as prostitutes," said Assistant Attorney General Wan J. Kim.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said,"This defendant’s guilty plea vindicates numerous young women who fell prey to his scheme and were forced and coerced into prostitution at his hands. APD first brought this case to our attention after hearing from his victims, who were brave enough to come forward. We will pursue criminal operations involving human trafficking, such as this one, with the greatest vigor."

According to the charging documents and other information presented in this case: JONES was charged and pleaded guilty to a two-count information, which charged that between 2000 and 2005 JONES conspired to force six victims, identified only by initials, to engage in commercial sex acts through force, fraud and coercion and by causing two juvenile victims to engage commercial sex acts knowing that they had not reached the age of 18 years. JONES lured and recruited the minor and adult victims into prostitution with promises of legitimate modeling or exotic dancing work and used physical violence, threats of violence, deception, and other forms of coercion to compel the victims to work as prostitutes.

JONES caused three women to engage in sex acts, including oral sex and vaginal intercourse with himself and others, by striking them and threatening to beat them. He used actual violence, threats of violence, and various other forms of coercion to force young women to work as prostitutes. JONES also used actual violence, threats of violence and other forms of coercion to compel the victims under contract to pay him hundreds of dollars a week toward their contractual debts and fines levied by the defendant. JONES pleaded guilty to transporting, or causing young women to be transported, across state lines, from Georgia to Florida, Alabama and Indiana, for purposes of engaging in prostitution.

JONES initially would approach young women at colleges, stores, music events, restaurants, or nightclubs. He lured and convinced them to socialize with him by representing himself as a successful modeling and casting agent for either "Candy Girl Casting" or "Dime Piece Entertainment"—companies the defendant claimed to own. The defendant used the presence of "Michelle," a woman who had found some modeling work, to recruit the women as potential models. Once the victims began socializing with JONES, he persuaded the victims to work in strip clubs as dancers, claiming it that was necessary for their modeling careers to be "comfortable" with their bodies, and that they could make large sums of money. The defendant convinced five of the victims to sign contracts whereby they agreed to pay him between $300 and $450 weekly for 52 weeks. In exchange, JONES promised that he would get the victims modeling jobs in magazines and music videos. In connection with the contracts, JONES required the women to provide him with their social security numbers.

After recruiting the victims, JONES then became physically and mentally abusive toward them, beating them if they challenged his authority and threatening to harm them, telling them that he would "beat them unrecognizable." Ultimately, JONES compelled the women to engage in commercial sex acts by use of violence, threats of violence, threats of financial ruin, threats to ruin their credit, threats to expose sexually explicit videotapes, monetary fines, and other forms of coercion. JONES also recruited two minors, whom he knew to be under the age of eighteen, to work as prostitutes for him.

The defendant faces a possible sentence of 15 years in prison. A sentencing date for JONES has not yet been set by the court. JONES also agreed to pay $60,600 in restitution to his victims.

Human trafficking prosecutions are a top priority of the Department of Justice. In the last six fiscal years, the Civil Rights Division, in conjunction with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, has increased by six-fold the number of human trafficking cases filed in court. In 2006, the Department obtained a record number of convictions in human trafficking prosecutions. Anyone with information on such cases should contact police. The FBI can be contacted at 404-679-9000. The Atlanta Police Department’s Hotline is 404-853-3444.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and officers of the Atlanta Police Department, Human Trafficking Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorneys Jane Wilcox Swift and Susan Coppedge and DOJ Civil Rights Attorney Karima Maloney are prosecuting the case.