Story Published: Dec 30, 2009 at 5:13 PM PST
By KVAL.com staff
EUGENE, Ore. -- Three people face charges they recruited girls under age 18 as prostitutes, instructing the girls on how much to charge for various sex acts and using the Web site Craiglist to recruit clients.
Sharlise Michelle Duckworth, 27, appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Donald C. Ashmanskas on a federal indictment charging sex trafficking of a minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.
Duckworth entered a plea of not guilty and was released on pre-trial release conditions and ordered to report for trial on March 2.
Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors carries a maximum penalty of five years In prison and sex trafficking of minor has a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and maximum of life in prison.
The federal indictment alleges Duckworth and co-defendants Stanley Mack Spriggs Jr., a.k.a. “Bug”, 26, and Hollie Robin Spriggs 27, both of Eugene/Springfield, were involved in a conspiracy to recruit, entice and provide minor girls to engage in sex acts for money.
Prosecutors allege the defendants would take photographs of the minors that were used with commercial sex advertisements on Craigslist and other online advertising services. Hotel rooms were rented so the minors could engage in sex. All of the proceeds from the illegal activity was given to the defendants, prosecutors said.
The indictment alleges the defendants told the girls to charge $175 for a half hour sex act and $250 for a full hour sex act. Oral and anal sex were an extra $100 and $200, respectively.
The federal charges comes after a lengthy investigation conducted by the Eugene Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Stanley Mack Spriggs is in state custody serving a prison sentence for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He will be arraigned at a later date. Hollie Robin Spriggs has been served with a summons to appear U.S. District Court, Portland on January 20, 2010.
Trio charged with prostituting teen girls online | KVAL CBS 13 - News, Weather and Sports - Eugene, OR - Eugene, Oregon | Local & Regional News
