A local boxer will spend 14 years in prison for sex trafficking three young girls.
Ronnie Pratt is a two-time Golden Glove champion. He also pleaded guilty in connecting to sex trafficking three teenage girls. The youngest, 13-years-old.
"He had a weapon, he showed it to the girls; they were terrified. They did what he wanted," said FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson. Court documents also detail that he kept a portion of the money they were paid for commercial sex acts.
According to court documents, Pratt put pictures on the website, Backpage.com. Records show the ad described a "lovely college girl" who has a "thing for older men."
An FBI agent answered the ad and set up a meeting at a local hotel where they arrested Pratt.
For the first time, locally, the feds are also charged one of Pratt's customers, Richard Purnell of Parma. A jury convicted him of having sex with one of the teenagers. He will be sentenced in December.
"To me, a 54-year-old man who pays to have sex with a young child is a child rapist, not a customer," said US Attorney of the Northern Ohio District, Carole Rendon.
