Atlanta Man Pleaded Guilty to Sex Trafficking in Federal Court

Quintavious Obie recently was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking. According to reports, Obie pleaded guilty to luring young women from South Carolina and Georgia. He then forced the women into a life of prostitution. The victims reported that they were not allowed to go anywhere without Obie's knowledge and all proceeds from the prostitution went to him.

Although this is a federal case - Georgia has its own laws regarding trafficking.

Georgia Law breaks down trafficking of people into two categories: labor servitude and sexual servitude. Both categories are heavily penalized, but it is also important to know the difference.

As a Georgia Sex Crimes Lawyer, I will outline the offense of trafficking person for sexual servitude in Georgia in today's post.

Sex Trafficking in Georgia

Sex Trafficking in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. §16-5-46 as:

When a person knowingly subjects another person to or maintains another person in sexual servitude or knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means another for the purpose of sexual servitude. 

By law, sexual servitude includes any sexually explicit conduct or performance involving sexually explicit conduct for which anything of value is directly or indirectly given, promised to, or received by any individual, which conduct is induced or obtained:

• By coercion or deception;
• From an individual who is under the age of 18 years;
• From an individual whom the accused believes to be under the age of 18 years;
• From an individual who has a development disability; or
• From an individual from whom the accused believes to have a development disability. 

If convicted of trafficking an individual for labor or sexual servitude, a person will be guilty of a felony and will be punished by a prison term of ten to twenty years and a fine up to $100,000.00. 

Furthermore, the penalty will be escalated if the person has a developmental disability or was under the age of 18 and was coerced or deceived into being trafficked for labor or sexual servitude. Upon conviction, the accused will be guilty of a felony and will receive a fine up to $100,000.00 and a prison term between twenty-five and fifty years.

Practice Note

Sex trafficking is commonly reported in the news. In fact, living in Atlanta, means that we hear frequent reports of sex trafficking. But it is just like any other crime in the sense that people can be wrongfully accused.

If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact our offices today.