ROCHESTER, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Thaddeus Grice, 38, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of sex trafficking of a minor, was sentenced to 240 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that in November, 2013, the defendant recruited a 16 year-old minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts and used Backpage.com for advertisement purposes. Between November and December 2013, Grice rented rooms at hotels in Henrietta and Rochester, NY, for the minor victim to meet with customers.
During that same time period, the defendant also coerced an adult victim to engage in commercial sex acts. Grice met the adult victim, a self-described heroin addict, in Rochester and used heroin to coerce the victim to work for him as a prostitute. Again, the defendant placed ads for the adult victim on Backpage.com and would rent hotel rooms at various locations for the adult victim to with clients and engage in commercial sex acts. On at least one occasion, Grice threatened the adult victim with use of force and on at least one other occasion, hit the adult victim when she wanted to stop prostituting for him.
“Today’s significant sentence demonstrates this Office’s commitment to protecting the victims of human trafficking, especially where, as here, such victims are, as a result of their age or addiction, among the most vulnerable among us," said Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. “We will continue to do all that we can to remove from our society those who perceive frailty in the human condition as something to be exploited in order to make money."
"This sentence ensures that this predator will no longer be a threat to the young people in our community," said Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly of HSI Buffalo. "HSI will continue to work with our partners to bring sex traffickers to justice, while ensuring the survivors get the support they need to rebuild their lives."
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
