Man Sentenced to 34 Years for Pandering and Pimping of a Child

GOLDEN, CO—Victor Everitt Sanders, born December 26, 1985, of Aurora, was sentenced today to 34 years in prison, plus five years of parole, for forcing a 16-year-old girl to prostitute herself for him.

On January 11, 2011, investigators received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that led them to Sanders through a 16-year-old victim who was advertising services on a website.

The tip was forwarded to a special agent with the FBI and a detective from the Aurora Police Department who are both assigned to the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Lakewood Police, who are also members of the Safe Streets Task Force, conducted an undercover prostitution sting on January 21. They took the 16-year-old teen into custody. The teen told investigators that Sanders was her pimp. He had forced her to post ads and then go with strangers and commit sex acts and then bring the money back to him. Investigators learned that Sanders made her dependent upon him. He fed her little and bought sexually explicit clothing for her to wear. He beat her, raped her, belittled her, and in other ways verbally abused her.

The investigation led to a warrant being issued for the arrest of Victor Sanders on January 24.

The young woman appeared in court today, with her grandmother, for the sentencing hearing. She talked little about what Sanders had done or taken from her. She instead told the judge that she was no longer a victim; that she was victorious ,and now she was free. She told the court that she went to prom this year, and that she graduated from high school. She smiled as she told the court that at the beginning of September, she moved into the dorm of her new four-year college.

“These cases are extremely difficult,” says District Attorney Scott Storey. “The young victim ran away from home at 13 to escape abuse and a difficult home environment. No child wants to prostitute themselves. For them, it is a matter of survival. In this case, there is good news. With the help and support of victim advocates and our Crimes Against Children team, this young woman is doing well and is healing and moving on with her life. Others are not so fortunate.”

“This sentence should send a clear message to those who victimize our nation’s children. Law enforcement, prosecutors, and our communities will come together to protect our young people and hold accountable those who exploit the innocence of young victims,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge James Yacone. “I would like to thank the Lakewood Police Department, the Aurora Police Department, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office for their leadership and collaboration with the Innocence Lost Unit of our FBI Safe Streets Task Force.”

The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on one count of child trafficking, and they returned a not guilty verdict on one count of sexual assault.

On July 24 a Jefferson County jury found Sanders guilty of:

■Pandering of a child

■Pimping of a child

■Procurement of a child

■Contributing to the delinquency of a child

■Two violent crime counts

District Judge Randall Aarp said that this case was “replete with violence and assault.” The judge also said that he had seen an interview with Sanders that the jury had not seen, and that throughout that interview and this case, he had seen no remorse whatsoever, nor had Sanders appeared to accept any responsibility for his actions. Sanders has one prior felony conviction and must register as a sex offender.

This press release originated from the Office of the District Attorney, First Judicial District, which handles Jefferson and Gilpin Counties, Colorado. The public information officer is Pam Russell at 303-271-6905.