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Man sentenced to 13 years for teen's human trafficking death

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A man who investigators with the Orlando Police Department said was a recruiter in a human trafficking operation that targeted young girls has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Jose Santiago Sotomayor was sentenced Monday morning after he entered a no contest plea deal for two counts of human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity, among other charges.

A 14-year-old girl died in 2016 after she was sold for sex and given a dangerous mix of drugs to make her forget about having sex with men, police said.

The girl's single mother had been working a lot and believed her two daughters, ages 14 and 15, were staying with friends when the 14-year-old died.

"You took her life. You broke our family. No amount of time we'll never get that back," the victim's sister said in court.

Sotomayor also recruited the 15-year-old sister of the victim, police said.

He, along with three other people, was charged in the case.

Arthur Coleman was sentenced to 15 years in prison last week during a plea deal to the same charges, plus third-degree murder.

In court, the victim’s sister scolded Sotomayor for his actions and he apologized.

One of the other suspects, Karla Alsina, will be sentenced Wednesday.

Jeff Deal

Jeff Deal, WFTV.com

I joined the Eyewitness News team as a reporter in 2006.