Franklin County man sentenced to 15 years for human trafficking

ROANOKE, Va. – A Franklin County man, who forced a local woman to engage in prostitution through the use of physical violence and threats, was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, the Roanoke City Police Department and the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office.

Tremayne Rontae Kirby, 25, pleaded guilty in August to one count of human trafficking and one count of using interstate commerce to promote an enterprise involving prostitution. Kirby must also pay $11,000 in restitution to an individual listed as “Victim One” in the indictment.

Kirby, who was indicted earlier this year, admitted that he, along with other individuals, operated a prostitution enterprise involving multiple women in Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey. Kirby used the money generated from the prostitution enterprise to pay for hotels, buy illegal drugs and provide food for himself and the women he used. The defendant posted prostitution advertisements on Internet websites, which included pictures of the women and prices for their services. Kirby secured hotel rooms and transportation for meetings with “Johns.”

From January 2014 to May 2014, Kirby prostituted Victim One. Kirby admitted that on many occasions, Victim One did not want to engage in sex acts but did so at the defendant’s insistence. To gain Victim One’s compliance, Kirby hit, body-slammed, shook, and threatened her. Kirby also regularly carried a gun in his waistband. Victim One had a drug habit, which was fed by Kirby and the lifestyle in which she was forced to live. At times Kirby withheld drugs until she performed prostitution services. Kirby kept virtually all of the proceeds Victim One generated through the compelled prostitution activity.