TAMPA, FL — A Hillsborough County man was recently handed a 120-year prison sentence for human trafficking and other charges, according to a news release from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office.
Marquett James, 50, will serve his incarceration in the Florida Department of Correction over 90 years with some terms running concurrently.
Following a jury trial in November, James was convicted of two counts of human trafficking, one count of racketeering and one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering. He was sentenced on Friday.
“Crimes of this nature cause life-long harm and must be met with punishments that reflect their severity. In Florida, there will be no leniency for sexual predators and human traffickers,” Uthmeier said.
The Department of Homeland Security began investigating James in May 2021 after a cyber tip was submitted to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Between 2012 and 2020, James targeted young women by initiating romantic relationships and later coercing them into commercial sex acts, Uthmeier’s office said.
He forced both victims into prostitutions, kept all profits, and subjected them to ongoing physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
In one case, James threatened to release pornographic material he produced of the victim to maintain control, the attorney general’s office said.
Investigators estimate that James profited in the hundreds of thousands of dollars from each victim. One victim became homeless as a result of James’ abuse.