St. Pete Child Sex Trafficker Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison: Judge

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A 31-year-old man received a 40-year prison sentence Friday in a Tampa court for sex trafficking children in a St. Petersburg hotel, a U.S. Attorney's Office news release said.

Julius Arline and his co-defendant, Leslie Reio, kept two teenagers (14 and 15 years of age) inside a hotel room and provided the children to their clients for them to have sex with, court officials said.

The commercial sex acts took place between March 6, 2021, and March 14, 2021, officials said.

Sexually explicit photographs of the victims posted as online advertisements for commercial sex with strangers led St. Pete police to the teenagers, court documents said.

The two teens were given illegal drugs and forced to participate in numerous sex dates during the eight days in a hotel room, the news release said.

"Child sex trafficking is happening every day, and this significant sentence exemplifies HSI's commitment to protecting children from sex trafficking crimes and victimization," said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Silliman. "HSI, alongside St. Petersburg Police Department, are committed to locating, and recovering child victims, as well as ensuring predators are held responsible for their heinous crimes."

A sentence hearing for Reio is scheduled for July 8, according to the news release.

Arline will be required to register as a sex offender, police said.