A 35-year-old Denver man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for the sex trafficking of minors across state lines.
Terrell Layne Smith was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello to 151 months in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado.
In addition, Smith will serve five years’ supervised release when his prison terms is complete. He will have to register as a sex offender.
A federal grand jury indicted Smith in May 2014. He pled guilty in September to transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Smith used photos and a website to prostitute two girls, ages 16 and 17. He advertised the two victims on as being 20 and 21 years old.
He told the victims “they could earn money by going out on ‘dates,’ referring to prostitution or commercial sex acts,” according to the release.
In 2012, Smith drove the girls to various Colorado locations to engage in prostitution. The girls also engaged in prostitution, under Smith’s guidance and directive, in the Phoenix area that same year.
Smith received a percentage of the money the girls were paid for having sex. He brought them clothing, food and marijuana, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Innocence Lost Task Force as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson@denverpost.com or @kierannicholson
