Only a few short years after first forming, the Human Trafficking Division of the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office won a conviction against a suspected pimp.
After a jury found the man guilty at trial on all counts, a 34-year old suspected pimp was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of battery by strangulation, deriving support from prostitution, and kidnapping.
The man is accused of luring at least six girls to Florida from Nevada and forcing them into prostitution.
This is the first conviction at trial the Human Trafficking Division has obtained. This is a sign that crimes alleging human trafficking will not be treated as run-of-the-mill felonies but as serious crimes requiring the attention and skill of a specialized prosecution unit.
Eric Matheny is a criminal defense attorney serving Miami-Dade and Broward.