Sex trafficking conviction: Milwaukee man gets 45 years in prison
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison, convicted of 14 federal crimes including sex trafficking by force.
In announcing the sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper recounted the "decades of violence" that Calvin Freeman Jr. inflicted on his victims. The crimes spanned not only decades but also a handful of states, according to prosecutors.
The judge cited many examples of Freeman's tactics, including incidents in which he slammed one of his victims into a bathtub, put a cigarette out on a victim’s face, beat a victim with an iron, and forced a victim to continue walking the street looking for prostitution dates immediately after she had been violently raped and robbed.
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Pepper also described Freeman’s "disturbing" pattern of beating his victims with a belt, noting that those beatings often left the imprint of the belt buckle on their bodies.
The judge rejected Freeman’s arguments that his conduct was the result of his upbringing or that his victims had voluntarily entered the lifestyle and thus knew what they were signing up for. She described Freeman’s conduct as "the most heinous" example of sex trafficking she had ever seen in her career.
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In addition to sex trafficking by force, Freeman was convicted of:
- Fraud/coercion
- Interstate transportation for prostitution
- Interstate transportation of a minor for criminal sexual activity
- Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon
- Obstruction and contempt of court
Freeman was additionally sentenced to serve five years of extended supervision following his release from prison.
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