SAN ANTONIO – A federal judge sentenced a 38-year-old San Antonio man Friday to two life imprisonment terms for sex trafficking of minors along with 30 years in prison for production of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In addition to Marcus Wright, 41-year-old Raymond Valas -- a former U.S. Army Lt. Colonel in the New Hampshire National Guard -- was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release; 22-year-old Malcom Deandre Copeland was sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release; and, 20-year-old Amber Doak was sentenced to six months incarceration followed by 15 years of supervised release, U.S. attorneys said.
The judge also ordered that all four people be registered sex offenders for the rest of their lives. Wright, Copeland and Doak were also ordered to pay $1,500 restitution to their victim, U.S. attorneys said.
"Today's sentencings by Chief Judge Biery should make it clear beyond doubt that engaging in the commerce of sex with minors in intolerable and unacceptable," said acting U.S. attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr. "Those who participate in such exploitation face serious consequences to their liberty."
Last year, separate federal juries convicted Wright, Copeland and Valas of sex trafficking of a minor. U.S. attorneys said Wright was also convicted of one count of child pornography. Prior to trial, Doak pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of minors.
Evidence presented during the trials revealed that in 2013, Doak, at the bidding of Wright and Copeland, encouraged a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual acts for money. Using a mobile phone provided by Wright, Doak took pictures of the victim, which Wright and Copeland subsequently used to promote her on an Internet website that advertised prostitution services under the pretext of "escorts," U.S. attorneys said.
Evidence also revealed that Doak fielded inquiries from people responding to the prostitution advertisement and also traveled with Wright and Copeland as they took the girl to multiple locations in San Antonio, as well as Corpus Christi, to engage in commercial sex. U.S. attorneys said testimony revealed that Valas solicited the teen girl using the Internet and that he knowingly had sex with her in a San Antonio hotel on two occasions in August 2013 while on temporary duty.
"Recruiting, exploiting and transporting juveniles for the purpose of underage prostitution is among the lowest forms of human conduct," said FBI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. "Today's sentences should send a clear message to those who engage in this revolting criminal activity: Our children are not for sale."
"Thanks to the collaborative efforts of state, local and federal law enforcement authorities, these four defendants were convicted for sex trafficking of minors," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said. "I congratulate everyone involved for taking these criminals off the streets and out of our communities. Texas has become and will remain a national leader in human trafficking prevention efforts. Together, we will continue to protect survivors and bring traffickers to justice."