A New York City man, Sherriff Cooper, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl in a federal court in Boston. Cooper was convicted of various charges including sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, and coercion. He was also ordered to pay about $97,000 to the victim.
Cooper met the victim in 2017 while he was working as a security guard at a residential program for pregnant teenagers. The girl was a pregnant 15-year-old who had run away from the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Cooper began a sexual relationship with the victim and started sex trafficking her around Boston after losing his job in 2018. He posted online ads for her on commercial sex websites and kept all the money she earned.
According to federal authorities, Cooper used violence, threats, and coercion to force the victim to sell her body for his financial gain. He trafficked her daily except on her period or her birthday. He also took her to New York, where he forced her to strip at a club and kept all the money for himself. Cooper became more violent when the victim couldn’t strip as often after becoming pregnant.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy’s office called Cooper’s actions “vicious and cruel” and stated that he took advantage of the victim’s vulnerability for financial gain. Cooper’s sentencing sends a message about the serious consequences of exploiting minors for financial gain and the need to protect vulnerable individuals from such exploitation.
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