Chicago man Jerome Terry Jr. has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking after admitting to luring women from Canada to Los Angeles with fake modeling deals, the New York Daily Newsreports.
As the U.S. Attorney’s Office detailed in a statement released on Monday (July 19), the 45-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking. Per the plea agreement, he is expected to receive a prison sentence between seven and 15 years. Terry said in court that he and two co-conspirators set up CanadianGirlzRock, Inc. in order to lure young women under the false promise of modeling careers. He lured two victims, who were both aged 19 at the time, and then coerced or forced the victims into prostitution.
Per the plea agreement, Terry “intended and planned to recruit, entice, and transport the women to Los Angeles, or other locations, and to harbor, provide, obtain, and maintain the women to engage in commercial sex acts.” The first of his two victims arrived in Los Angeles in April 2014 after Terry told her he would provide her with work, while the second arrived in late 2014 under similar false pretenses.
Instead, he forced her to perform sex acts with various clients over the course of 10 days, and broke her phone when she asked for money, the plea agreement reads.
Terry was under federal custody following his extradition from Canada back in 2019. His sentencing is currently scheduled for October 25, while the two co-conspirators have entered into diversion agreements.
