PHILADELPHIA - First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Shyniquah Lightner, 27, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to twenty years’ incarceration and fifteen years’ supervised release by United States District Judge C. Darnell Jones II for her role in a scheme to sex traffic minor children.
In 2016 and 2017, Lightner recruited two children, ages 14 and 15, to engage in commercial sex acts at a house in Philadelphia. She advertised the children on the website Backpage.com, and she collected money from the sex buyers who came to the residence for sexual encounters with the minors. Her co-defendant, Malik Hudson, participated in the trafficking of the 15-year-old.
“Lightner’s crimes were devastating to her minor victims," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Today’s sentence of twenty years’ incarceration reflects the seriousness of her crimes and the irrevocable damage she caused, all in pursuit of financial gain. We will continue to work collectively to investigate these destructive crimes against vulnerable children."
“Today’s sentencing is a significant step in holding Ms. Lightner accountable for trafficking children," said Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “Traffickers prey on the vulnerabilities of their victims, repeatedly exploiting them for their own personal gain. We will continue working with our partners at the Philadelphia Human Trafficking Task Force to hold these criminals accountable for their deplorable actions."
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
