Two Western Washington men, defendants in separate investigations, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court for human trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.

The investigations were not related, but are part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office initiative on human trafficking.  In both cases, the women were advertised for sex using Backpage.com.  In Tacoma, TERRENCE WILLIAMS, 25, of Bremerton, Washington was sentenced to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release.  In Seattle, CHARLES DEVILLE NASH, 30, of Seattle, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release.  Both men controlled young women, advertising them on the internet, transporting them to “dates,” taking their earnings and through verbal or physical violence forcing them to continue in the sex trades.

According to records filed in the case against NASH, he victimized five different women for his financial gain.  Prosecutors will ask that he pay his victims more than $240,000 in restitution at a hearing scheduled for January 2013.  Between 2009 and 2011, NASH controlled the women at various times, advertising them on Backpage.com, transporting them to various states for prostitution, and taking their earnings from prostitution.  NASH trafficked the victims in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, and Utah.

According to records in the WILLIAMS case, between 2007 and 2011, he controlled or attempted to control three young women in the sex trades.  WILLIAMS advertised at least one victim on line, transported victims to “dates,” took the earnings the women made from prostitution and controlled his victims with verbal and physical abuse.  As part of his plea agreement, WILLIAMS is to pay his victims restitution.  Prosecutors estimate it could be more than $185,000.

NASH was investigated by the FBI’s Innocence Lost Task Force containing officers with the Seattle Police Department.  WILLIAMS was investigated by the Bremerton Police Department and Lakewood Police Department with support from the FBI’s Innocence Lost Task Force.  The FBI’s Innocence Lost Task Force provides a rapid and effective investigative response to reported federal crimes involving the victimization of children.  The task force strives to reduce the vulnerability of children to acts of sexual exploitation and abuse and strengthens the capabilities of federal, state, and local law enforcement through training programs and investigative assistance.

Assistant United States Attorneys Ye-Ting Woo and Catherine Crisham prosecuted these cases.  Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Emily Langlie at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@usdoj.gov .  Follow us on Twitter @WDWAnews.