Justin Cephus and his colleagues ran a prostitution ring between Indiana and Illinois. They recruited victims at the local mall and through false advertisements promising modeling jobs. They told dozens of girls and young women that they could join an “escort” agency, answering the phone for their business or driving other girls to jobs. Cephus and his colleagues never paid them, and often forced the girls to have sex with customers. If the girls refused, they were threatened or beaten. In one instance, Cephus beat a woman with his fists, an extension cord, a “dog bar” and a broomstick, which he broke on her back. Cephus and the other defendants were all found guilty of numerous trafficking related crimes.
