A Compton man faces up to 63 years in prison after he was convicted late last week of seven felony counts linked to sexual abuse and pimping teenage girls in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Compton, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

On Thursday, February 4, a jury found Rulie Chevez Sprewell, 47, guilty of three counts of forcible oral copulation and one count each of pimping a minor over 16 years, pandering by encouraging a minor over age 16, pimping and pandering by procuring, officials stated.

In August 2010 Sprewell began pimping an 18-year-old girl in Hollywood, according to Deputy District Attorney Rachel Hardiman, who prosecuted the case.

On August 19 of that year, the teen got into the car of an undercover officer and while in custody disclosed that Sprewell had been her pimp for several weeks, according to officials. She also said the defendant had just beaten her, Hardiman said.

Additionally, in October 2011 Sprewell approached a 16-year-old girl and forced her to work for him as a prostitute, according to the prosecutor.

“The defendant used violence and threats to control the teenager and made her work in Los Angeles, Compton and Long Beach,” the prosecutor added.

Sprewell sexually assaulted the teen more than 50 times over the three months that she worked for him. The victim was able to break free of the defendant’s control when she was apprehended by police in December 2011, officials said.

A day after the verdict, in a court trial, it was also discovered that Sprewell had been previously convicted of robbery.

Sprewell is scheduled to be sentenced April 21 at the Long Beach Superior Courthouse. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 63 years in state prison.

The Long Beach and Los Angeles police departments investigated the case.

Stephanie Rivera is the community engagement editor. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @StephRivera88.