Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Of Teen In San Diego County

SAN DIEGO, CA — A man who sexually trafficked a 16-year-old girl in San Diego County has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Monday.

Vincent Bailey, 25, of Las Vegas, forced the teen to engage in prostitution in Las Vegas last year, then similarly trafficked her in Los Angeles and San Diego counties over the next few weeks, according to prosecutors.

A probable cause statement filed in Bailey's criminal case states that he posted pictures of the girl in online sex advertisements, some of which depicted her semi-nude.

Though the girl eventually contacted her mother and police, then was returned home, she ran away from home again just over a week later. When she returned home, she had a tattoo just below her eye that matched a tattoo Bailey had, which prosecutors say is a common tactic traffickers use to "brand" their prostitutes.

Bailey was arrested a few months later during a traffic stop and prosecutors say another underage runaway was found in his vehicle. Bailey later pleaded guilty to a federal count of sex trafficking of a minor.

San Diego U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement, "This sentence holds the defendant accountable for the cruelty and exploitation he inflicted on a vulnerable 16-year-old girl. Branding a child as property and trafficking her for profit is an act of profound depravity."

— City News Service