PARK HILLS, Mo. — A husband-wife duo of sex traffickers who operated in Florida and several other states have been convicted of taking girls and forcing them into the sex trade.
At least five girls were involved in the trafficking.
One of the girls told investigators that Marcus Thompson, 28, lured her into his truck while she was walking in her hometown of Madison, Illinois, The Associated Press reported.
She said she was later enlisted into prostitution in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Tennessee and Missouri.
She told investigators that one of the girls died in her arms, and that they were beaten and threatened with being fed to alligators if they tried to escape, the AP reported.
Thompson’s wife, Robin Thompson, who was convicted of organizing online advertisements for the sex trafficking enterprise, posted sexually explicit images of the victims online, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Robin Thompson also arranged prices, services and meeting locations with customers paying to have sex with the underage girls, the DOJ said in a news release.
The trafficking ring operated during a six-week period between June and July 2015, investigators said.
Robin Thompson was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week for her part in the operation.
Marcus Thompson pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion, and sex trafficking of a minor by force.
He faces a sentence of 15 years to life in federal prison.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29.