A Long Beach man was sentenced today to 33 years in state prison after being convicted on August 8 of pimping a 16-year-old girl, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office (LADA).
Eric James Avery, 25, was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was convicted of one felony count each of pimping a minor 16 years of age or older and human trafficking of a minor for a sex act.
His co-defendant Lebrette Stacey Winn, 23, was also found guilty in September of two counts each of pimping and pandering by procuring and one count each of human trafficking to commit another crime, sodomy by use of forcible rape, aggravated mayhem and kidnapping.
Police said two female victims, ages 20 and 18, came forward on May 15, 2013 after escaping a locked car in Culver City. They ran to a Good Samaritan and told him they had been kidnapped and forced into prostitution, according to the prosecution. The man drove them to a nearby police station, where an investigation began.
The 20-year-old victim told authorities she met Winn that January, when he convinced her to become a prostitute and then raped her.
The woman eventually ran away, but Winn found her and made her continue, all the while physically and sexually assaulting her. Winn also tattooed his pimp name and a dollar sign on the victim’s forehead as punishment for wanting to go home.
The 18-year-old victim told police she met Winn in November of 2012 and he also persuaded her to prostitute for him. She eventually stopped prostituting, but Winn created a ruse for her to meet up with him on May 15, 2013, where he forced her into his car and threatened her. Winn then picked up the 20-year-old victim and took both women to the mall, where they escaped from the vehicle while he was inside.
One day after the victims went to police, Winn was arrested while he was driving to meet the 18-year-old victim. Avery was the passenger in the vehicle and was also taken into custody.
Police found a hotel key in Avery’s pocket which led them to a room, where they discovered a 16-year-old girl who said she was working as a prostitute for Avery.
The case was investigated by the Long Beach Police Department’s Vice Investigations Section, Sex Crimes Detail, Missing Persons Detail and Gang Enforcement Division.