Atlanta Man Who Transported Minor Across State Lines for Prostitution Sentenced to Prison

A 31-year-old Atlanta man has been sentenced to serve time in federal prison following his conviction on charges that he took an underage girl across state lines for the purposes of prostitution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division announced Friday.

According to prosecutors and the evidence presented in court, Johnathon Kelly transported a 17-year-old Alamaba runaway identified only as R.W. to Atlanta on or around Nov. 22, 2012. Once in Atlanta, Kelly took photographs of R.W. and posted them on the internet to solicit clients for prostitution.

Kelly transported R.W. to hotels in locations as far flung as Norcross, Augusta, Dallas, TX, and Bossier City, LA for the purpose of performing sexual acts with the clients.

R.W. was saved by a Greene County Sheriff’s Office deputy and a Georgia State Patrol trooper who pulled over Kelly and R.W. for speeding on Jan. 9, 2013. The deputy, who had recently undergone training to identify sex trafficking victims, and the trooper separated R.W. from Kelly and learned that he had been using her for prostitution.

Kelly pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of a minor for prostitution on June, 30, the District Attorney’s office said in a press release. He was sentenced to serve 11 years in prison, 20 more years on probation, and he must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He must also pay R.W. $7,500 in restitution.

“This defendant took advantage of a young girl who was especially vulnerable, having run away from her home in Alabama, and exploited her for his personal gain,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “But she was saved as a result of the training and diligence of two state and local law enforcement officers who, during a routine traffic stop, recognized that the defendant might be sexually exploiting this child. The officers’ suspicions proved to be well-founded.”

J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Today’s sentencing of Johnathon Kelly serves as a reminder to all that there are people like him waiting for the opportunity to exploit our nation’s youth. Today’s sentencing of Kelly also illustrates that there are dedicated law enforcement officers who are aware of this type of criminal activity and who remain vigilant in efforts toward protecting those being exploited.”