East Texas Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Child Trafficking Case

An East Texas man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for child trafficking and his involvement in a prostitution ring. According to KLTV, Imani Don Ingram of Mount Pleasant pleaded guilty to child trafficking as part of a six-person prostitution ring.

Ingram’s charges include child trafficking, promotion of prostitution, compelling prostitution and possession of child pornography. Ingram pleaded guilty to child trafficking in exchange for dropping all other charges he was facing.

How the Plea Deal Reduced Potential Prison Time

By agreeing to the plea deal, the maximum sentence was reduced from 99 years or life in prison to 40 years. The minimum sentence possible was five years in prison.

Defense attorney Michael J. Todd requested that the court consider a sentence of 8 to 12 years. He also argued that Ingram accepted responsibility for his actions, had no prior criminal record, and had never been to jail before.

The prosecutor in the case asked the court to sentence Ingram to 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

READ MORE: Texas Death Row Inmates Who’ve Waited 25+ Years

What Investigators Learned About the Victim

Court documents showed that Ingram had direct contact with the victim for six days but recruited her for more than a month. Ingram promised that she could make money and travel the world. The victim was exploited for commercial sex acts and Ingram never let her keep the money. He reportedly allowed her to keep only $5 on one occasion to buy a drink from a gas station.

Judge Scott Novy decided to sentence Ingram to 30 years in prison.

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Other Sentences Already Handed Down in the Case

One other person has already been sentenced in the trafficking case: Kayley Villalta, who received an eight-year prison sentence.