A New York City man who brutally sex-trafficked a 15-year-old girl for money was sentenced in a federal court in Boston on Wednesday afternoon, federal authorities stated.
Sherriff Cooper, 37, was sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy’s office said in a statement. He was convicted in February by a federal grand jury of sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud and coercion; transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; and forced labor.
Cooper was also ordered to pay about $97,000 to the victim, Levy’s office added.
Cooper met the victim in 2017, while he worked as a security guard at a residential program for pregnant teenagers, Levy’s office stated.
The survivor was a then-pregnant 15-year-old girl who ran away from the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families’ custody, Levy’s office added.
Cooper began a “sexual relationship” with the victim and, after losing his job in 2018, began sex trafficking her around Boston, Levy said. He posted online ads for her on commercial sex websites and took all the payments she got.
“Sherriff Cooper viciously and cruelly exploited a vulnerable minor who was half his age — taking advantage of his position of trust to abuse her into submission. When he lost his job, Mr. Cooper decided he would rather sex traffic a vulnerable child for financial gain than seek legitimate employment — all the while physically abusing and threatening her,” Levy’s office said in a statement.
Cooper used violence, threats and coercion to force the victim to sell her body for his financial gain, Levy stated. He trafficked her daily except when she was on her period or it was her birthday.
He also took her to New York where he trafficked the girl’s body too, Levy said. When he was in New York, Cooper used a fake ID for the victim and forced her to strip at a club, where he kept all the money to himself.
He still used threats of violence, violence and coercion to keep her working at the club for his financial gain, Levy stated. He only became more violent when she couldn’t strip as often after Cooper got her pregnant.
