ATLANTA, March 25 (UPI) -- A man convicted of luring young women and teenagers from Mexico to Georgia and forcing them into prostitution has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.
A federal judge fined Amador Cortes-Meza $292,000 at Thursday's sentencing hearing, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. He was convicted in November of heading a sex-trafficking ring.
"This defendant tricked young girls and juveniles into leaving their families in Mexico, beat them, and forced them into more than 20 acts of prostitution a night here in Atlanta," U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said in a statement. "These survivors courageously testified against the defendant and played a significant role in bringing him to justice. This defendant earned every day of his 40 year sentence."
The victims said they were housed in Norcross, Ga., and beaten if they refused to do what they were told. They described being made to service 40 customers a night, while Cortes-Meza and his confederates pocketed the $25 the customers paid.
