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Man, Woman Each Sentenced To Several Years In Prison For Sex Trafficking Minor

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A man and a woman were each sentenced to several years in prison in connection to the sex trafficking a minor at a Twin Cities hotel, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney's Office District of Minnesota said that 27-year-old Maria Candelaria Zambrano Zavala was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 51-year-old Humberto Rangel-Torres was sentenced to six years in prison. U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud also sentenced the two to supervised release, 10 years and five years respectively.

"These defendants knowingly engaged in the sexual exploitation of a child for their own selfish gains," said Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk, in a statement. "Criminals who victimize and abuse children in this way will be investigated, prosecuted, and imprisoned."

According to court documents, in the spring of 2019 Zambrano Zavala transported and provided a minor for commercial sex to Rangel-Torres, who was a construction worker living out of a Bloomington hotel. On several occasions, Rangel-Torres paid Zambrano Zavala for sex with the minor.

In April, Zambrano Zavala pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking a minor. In that same month, Rangel-Torres pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.

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