CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte woman faces over 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking a 13-year-old girl, according to federal authorities.
Prosecutors say Simone McIllwain, 30, of Charlotte has been sentenced to 235 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor.
Simone McIllwain
According to court documents, law enforcement was first notified that a 13-year-old girl was a suspected victim of sex trafficking on January 1st, 2020.
From there, investigators determined that from December 2nd to December 25th, 2019, McIllwain did in fact engage in the sex trafficking of a minor in the Charlotte area.
Court documents show the minor was introduced to McIllwain through a mutual friend, and shortly after meeting, McIllwain began to advertise the underage girl online for commercial sex.
Investigators say McIllwain also arranged for the minor to engage in sex acts at her hotel room and she kept a portion of the proceeds.
At the time of the incident, authorities say McIllwain was on supervised release for a 2014 federal conviction in Florida, for transporting a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
On April 19th, 2021, authorities say McIllwain plead guilty to sex trafficking of a minor and was placed into federal custody.
U.S. Attorney Dena King thanks the FBI and CMPD for their investigative efforts that led to an arrest in this case.
If you believe you are the victim of a trafficking situation or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888.
You can also text NHTRC at 233733 or submit a tip online.
