A man he met in Arizona after bringing her to Colorado was found guilty Monday of being a habitual criminal and sentenced to 48 years in prison.
A jury last fall found Thomas White, 36, guilty of pimping of a child, pandering of a child, procurement of a child, keeping a place of child prostitution and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
White forced his teen victim into prostitution and then kept the money she made performing sex acts
At Monday’s sentencing, Denver District Judge Ann Frick called White’s crimes “horrific” and said the lengthy prison term will prevent him from preying again, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
White met the teen in Arizona during the summer of 2012 before they were both arrested shortly after making their way to Denver.
“White was initially arrested for aggravated motor vehicle theft and the juvenile was taken into custody as a reported runaway,” the office said. “During the juvenile intake process, she disclosed that she had been prostituted, prompting an investigation.”
Members of the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, which is an amalgamation of federal and local law enforcement agencies, uncovered White’s activities.
The district attorney’s office says it located two additional victims who testified during White’s two-week trial last year.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
