Tacoma Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking

            A 35 year-old Tacoma, Washington resident was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for interstate transportation of an individual for prostitution and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  REGINALD IRVIN pleaded guilty in October 2012, following an investigation by the Tacoma Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, and the FBI’s Innocence Lost Task Force.  U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan ordered IRVIN to register as a sex offender as part of his sentence.

            According to records filed in the case, IRVIN exercised violent control over the women who he coerced to work for him as prostitutes.  IRVIN controlled the women with a harsh list of rules including requiring the women to give him all money made from prostitution activities and not being allowed to leave the house on their own.  When victims broke IRVIN’s rules the punishment included beatings, anal rape, being forced to strip naked and stand in the corner, being tied to the bed, as well as psychological and emotional abuse.  Women working for IRVIN witnessed him beating other women, and became fearful of leaving him or disobeying his orders.

            In asking for a 15 year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Unquestionably Irvin is a predator who has a long history of assaulting and exploiting young women…. (H)e treated the victims herein like chattel, beating and belittling them into servitude. His history and characteristics demonstrate an individual who is a menace and danger to society.”

The case was investigated by the Tacoma Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, and the FBI’s Innocence Lost Task Force.  The FBI’s Innocence Lost Task Force provides a rapid and effective investigative response to reported federal crimes involving the victimization of children.  The task force strives to reduce the vulnerability of children to acts of sexual exploitation and abuse and strengthens the capabilities of federal, state, and local law enforcement through training programs and investigative assistance.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney’s Ye-Ting Woo and Bruce Miyake.