Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 23 Years for Sex Trafficking Two Underage Girls: Ordered to Pay $177,200 in Restitution
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced on October 21 that Quinyon Speller of Philadelphia was sentenced that day to 276 months (23 years) in federal prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $177,200 in restitution. U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro imposed the sentence, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced.
Speller, 34, also known as "Que," pleaded guilty in February to sex trafficking of a minor by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion, and attempt; sex trafficking of a minor, and attempt; and sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion, and attempt. According to court filings, Speller admitted that from May 2016 through December 2017 he trafficked a runaway child he met when she was only 15 years old. Prosecutors said Speller groomed the child for commercial sexual exploitation by introducing her to another female who was engaging in commercial sex acts under his direction; the child came to believe she was in a relationship with Speller and moved in with him, after which he asked her to engage in commercial sex acts, claiming he needed the money. From there, the victim was trafficked almost daily, taken to motels and the homes of sex buyers, with all money surrendered to Speller, who often beat and choked her.
Prosecutors said Speller also trafficked another runaway child in 2014 and at various times from 2015 through 2020, turned violent toward her on several occasions, and often provided her with controlled substances as a form of payment and manipulation.
"Quinyon Speller treated two vulnerable girls as his personal property, manipulating them and making money off of their sexual exploitation," U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said. "While we can't erase the harm that he's done, at least we've made him answer for it. Today's sentence brings some justice for his victims and keeps him behind bars for decades, so that he can't hurt anyone else." Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia, said sex trafficking involving minors is one of the most heinous crimes the bureau is charged to investigate, and that the sentence underscores the power of coordinated law enforcement efforts. The case was investigated by the FBI's Philadelphia office.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于费城的 James A. Byrne 美国法院大楼（资料图），宾夕法尼亚东区联邦地区法院设于此楼。Ajay Suresh 摄，CC BY 2.0，取自维基共享资源。Photo: The James A. Byrne United States Courthouse in Philadelphia, home of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (file photo). Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
