A federal judge has sentenced a Chicago man to 40 years in prison for recruiting several children to engage in sex acts for money.
Lennie Perry trafficked at least seven minors under the age of 18.
One of his victims was under 14 years old when Perry caused her to engage in a commercial sex act. Perry used websites such as Backpage and Facebook to advertise commercial sex acts and recruit young victims to work for him.
Perry also required that each of his victims have sex with him before he would traffic them to others. Perry arranged for the victims to meet individuals for commercial sex acts in hotels and residences in Illinois, Minnesota, and Mississippi.
Perry, 49, was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking charges. Six of Perry’s victims testified at trial about their ordeals.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang on Wednesday ordered Perry to pay $523,600 in restitution to his victims.
Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, announced the sentence. The FBI Chicago Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case. The Chicago Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations provided valuable assistance.
“Defendant’s actions have created a trauma for the victims that is impossible to truly understand,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Mulaney argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Traffickers operating today should receive the message that if you traffic children in the Chicagoland area, you will receive the fullest punishment prescribed by law.”
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