Sarasota Human Trafficker Sentenced to 50 Years

SARASOTA, FL — A 23-year-old Sarasota man will spend the next 50 years in prison, a Sarasota County judge decided Tuesday. Ronald McBride was found guilty on six felony charges, including human sex trafficking, back in June.

The charges against McBride stemmed from a December 2015 Sarasota Police Department case in which a woman was beaten with a gun, held against her will, coerced to perform sex acts, sexually battery and then forced to give McBride money, an arrest report stated.

Following an investigation that kicked off with a report of a battery, McBride was charged with human trafficking, aggravated assault with a weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, robbery with a firearm, false imprisonment and sexual battery. He was found guilty on all six charges on June 17.

The 50-year sentence handed down Tuesday, Nov. 15, represents justice served, said Sarasota Sgt. Robert Armstrong.

“Ronald McBride received 50 years today and that sentence is a very long time for him to sit and think about what he's done,” Armstrong said. “Every day we fight against human trafficking in our community and we will continue to do so.”

McBride’s case is the first local case in Sarasota County where a person was found guilty of sexual trafficking, according to the police department.

"Sarasota is a beautiful place but human trafficking is a dark topic,” Assistant State Attorney Brooke Kernan said following Tuesday’s sentencing. “We will not tolerate this in our community.”

Booking photo courtesy of the Sarasota Police Department