2 Duluth Men Sentenced To Prison For Sex Trafficking 15-Year-Old Girl
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Two Duluth men learned they will serve years behind bars after sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl.
United States Attorney Erica MacDonald announced on Tuesday the sentencing of Andre Mathis Jr., 33, and Amos Kiprop Koech, 44. Mathis was sentenced to 292 months in prison, which is over 24 years, and Koech was sentenced to 130 months, or nearly 11 years.
Authorities say Mathis recruited and solicited a 15-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex. Mathis also physically and sexually abused the minor, provided her with street drugs and alcohol, told her how she could make money in exchange for sex and promised her clothes and a better life.
"The significant prison sentences handed down today are a just punishment for the heinous crimes these individuals committed against a vulnerable young girl," MacDonald said. "This is a sad, but very real, example of how child sex trafficking can occur in any city or community. My office, the St. Louis County Attorney's Office, and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out this type of predatory conduct."
Mathis also monitored the minor's communication with her parents and told her to tell them that everything was fine.
Authorities say Mathis sold the minor to Koech on one or more occasions, and they negotiated the price.
The trafficking ended when law enforcement found the minor hidden in a bedroom closed while Mathis was also present in the apartment.
In addition to prison time, Mathis was sentenced to 20 years of supervised release and restitution. Koech was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release with restitution.
