Arizona child sex trafficker who branded his victim gets 174-year sentence

PHOENIX – A convicted Arizona child sex trafficker whose name was branded on his victim was sentenced to 174 years in prison, prosecutors announced Thursday.

A jury previously convicted Leroy Ellis Jr. on eight counts of child sex trafficking, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

He was ordered to serve 22 years each for seven of the charges and 20 for one, with sentences to be served consecutively.

What did Arizona child sex trafficker to do his victim?

Ellis met his victim on Facebook when she was 15. Prosecutors said he started grooming her to be a prostitute after she traveled from California to Phoenix in 2022, and he put her to work after she turned 16.

The victim testified that she gave everything she earned for sex work to Ellis for several months.

In addition to the brand of Ellis’ name, the victim was tattooed with his nickname in large letters. Prosecutors said the markings could be seen in photos Ellis used for online sex advertisements.

“This woman showed incredible bravery by testifying about how she was manipulated and victimized by the defendant,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a press release. “Thank you to the Phoenix Police detectives who rescued her from a life of prostitution, and to the prosecution team in my office for finding justice for this woman who has been so horribly abused.”

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