El Cajon Man Who Attempted To Sex Traffic A Girl, 14, Sentenced To 20 Years

EL CAJON, CA — An El Cajon man convicted of attempting to recruit a 14-year-old girl and a 22-year-old woman to work as prostitutes for him was sentenced Friday to 19 years and seven months in prison.

Steven Terrell Lewis, 40, drove up to the girl in April of 2024 while she was walking to a friend's home in El Cajon and forcibly grabbed her cellphone in order to get her phone number, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors say he then began texting her and sent her a sexually explicit picture while identifying himself as "Pimpin." The girl blocked his number, but he continued texting her from a separate phone number, both of which were registered to Lewis, prosecutors said.

He tried to convince her to work for him as a prostitute, but the girl instead told a coach at her high school, and police were notified.

One week later, prosecutors say he contacted a 22-year-old woman through a personals website and directed her to work as a prostitute in National City. However, she was picked up by undercover National City police officers who posed as sex buyers.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said the woman was able to leave prostitution, but Lewis continued sending her messages in which he threatened to kill her if she didn't work for him.

Lewis was found guilty by a San Diego federal jury last year of attempted enticement of a minor and attempted sex trafficking by force or coercion.

During his sentencing hearing on Friday, Lewis' defense attorney, Marc Levinson, maintained that his client did not know the girl was underage, while prosecutors allege the girl told Lewis she was 14.

Prosecutors also allege in their sentencing papers that both phone numbers registered to Lewis are connected to a series of online commercial sex advertisements featuring pictures taken in his residence. The sentencing memorandum also outlines hundreds of text messages that prosecutors say showcase his efforts to recruit others to become prostitutes.