Columbia Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking

A Columbia man was sentenced to 15 years without parole for his role in a prostitution ring.

Federal prosecutors say 26-year-old Kenneth Jones was sentenced Thursday for sex trafficking of a minor and two counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity. When he pleaded guilty in August, Jones admitted he induced three victims to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution.

One of the victims, a 17-year-old girl from Wisconsin, contacted her social worker in June 2016 and said she was being held against her will. She was found in a Columbia home that is known for prostitution.

In a related case, two Columbia men pleaded guilty to using the internet to promote a racketeering enterprise, a prostitution business they operated at a Columbia home.