United States Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña
Northern District of Texas

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2011
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

LUBBOCK MAN SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 33 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR
SEX TRAFFICKING OF A CHILD

Defendant Harbored, Transported, and Maintained Minor Female Engaged in Prostitution

LUBBOCK, Texas — Chanze Lamount Pringler, 25, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 405 months in federal prison, following his conviction at trial in August 2011 on a charge of sex trafficking of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. Pringler has been in custody since his arrest on March 30, 2011, by officers with the Lubbock Police Department, on related charges.

U.S. Attorney Saldaña said, “The use of minors in prostitution operations is a deplorable practice that is coming under increased scrutiny, and will be aggressively pursued by this office. The successful prosecution of this case was made possible only through the combined efforts of the Lubbock Police Department and the FBI.”

Pringler knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, and maintained, an unnamed minor female who was under the age of 18, knowing, and in reckless disregard of the fact, that she was under the age of 18 and that she would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act. Witnesses testified that Pringler would provide food, shelter, transportation, and marijuana to the unnamed minor and to another female, and used the proceeds from their prostitution activities to pay for those items. The government also presented evidence that Pringler and the adult female advertised the minor’s prostitution services on the Internet, and Pringler drove her to various hotels and locations to engage in the sex acts.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

The case was investigated by the Lubbock Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven M. Sucsy and Amy Burch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, prosecuted.

###