A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for sex trafficking and sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl, according to federal prosecutors.
Ruben Carter, 39, of Forest Park, pled guilty earlier this year to one count of sex trafficking for minors. On Tuesday, a federal judge sentenced him to 25 years behind bars. He will also serve ten years of supervised release.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Carter willfully exploited a 16-year-old girl for four months in 2019. Prosecutors claim he made online advertisements, including naked and sexually explicit images of the girl, and arranged for her to meet people for commercial sex acts at several sites throughout the Chicago region.
According to authorities, the girl gave Carter all of the money she collected from those interactions.
Federal prosecutors reportedly claimed that Carter physically abused the girl and threatened to murder her if she did not comply with his demands. According to court filings, Carter had many sexual encounters with the youngster and frequently documented the assault on his cellphone.
According to Assistant US Attorney Asheeka Desai, Carter targeted a vulnerable juvenile runaway and exploited her for financial gain.
“Defendant’s crimes were violent, exploitative, and incredibly serious,” Desai said.
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