Sacramento Pimp Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Prison

February 16, 2010 - SACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that STEPHEN MCKESSON, 24, of Citrus Heights, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to 235 months in prison and restitution of $20,000 for sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion. MCKESSON pleaded guilty on May 19, 2009.

This case was the product of an extensive investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sacramento Sheriff’s Innocence Lost Task Force.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon, who prosecuted the case, MCKESSON pleaded guilty to transporting the victim, a 16-year-old Sacramento female, from Sacramento to Redwood City for the purpose of prostitution.

The defendant had met this victim when she was 13 and he was approximately 16 years of age. When she was no older than 14, the defendant convinced the victim to work as a prostitute by telling her that if she loved him, she would prostitute for him. The victim worked as a prostitute for the defendant off and on for parts of the next five years, giving him all of the money that she earned through prostitution. The victim would travel to other cities in California and go door-to-door in certain apartment buildings while working for MCKESSON. On many occasions, the victim had run away from home, and each time that she was contacted by law enforcement and taken into custody, MCKESSON would convince her to leave her foster home to return to prostitution.

MCKESSON used force to manipulate the victim into working for him as a prostitute. The violence began with relatively minor physical contact. Over time, his level of violence toward his victim increased, progressing to kicking and beating her in the head. The victim continued to work for him until 2008 at which time the violence had progressed to forcible sodomy and rape. The victim stated that she continued to work for him because he threatened to take her two children.

Judge Burrell, in sentencing MCKESSON, said that the 235-month sentence was warranted based upon the defendant’s victimization of underage females for several years. The Judge noted that the defendant forced his victims into prostitution “in reckless disregard for their health and safety.” The sentence also “reflect[ed] the seriousness of the offense … and provided just punishment and deterrence.”