Federal prosecutors say a Houston man was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison for forcing a teenage girl to work as a prostitute.
27-year-old Deangelo Tate was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in December to one count of sex trafficking of children. Tate must also pay $20,000 in restitution.
Authorities say Tate in 2015 posted classified ads on backpage.com promoting the 17-year-old girl. He rented hotel rooms in Corpus Christi and Houston where men would pay Tate to have sex with the girl.
Tate assaulted the teen when she didn't comply with his orders.
Authorities say Tate knew the girl was underage but wasn't concerned because he believed law enforcement officials wouldn't find her to be credible because of her age.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
