Courtney Tremel Louie, 24, of Jackson, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to serve a total of 141 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on charges relating to sex trafficking of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Jenson, and Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood.

“Trafficking minors for sex is one of the worst, most heinous and despicable crimes we see, and this office will stop at nothing to protect victims and put these criminals behind bars. I want to thank our investigators and prosecutors for diligently pursuing this monster. We will continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners to do all that we can to stamp out human trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.

Louie was sentenced to 84 months in prison for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence (sex trafficking of a minor). He was sentenced to 57 months in prison for using the internet to promote and advertise the unlawful activity (prostitution). The sentences will be served consecutively for a total of 141 months. Louie was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

Beginning on January 1, 2018, and continuing through January 5, 2018, Louie was actively involved with the sex trafficking of a minor he had transported from Tennessee to Jackson. The minor performed commercial sex acts with men for money at various hotels. Louie used the internet to promote his unlawful activity by placing ads on the website “Backpage.com”.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Police Department and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Glenda R. Haynes.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.