The two men, Michael Graham Lowe, 25, and David Rose, 30, were trafficking the child from a motel in Montgomery, Alabama, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
They would advertise the child on Backpage.com, then arrange meetings for the child to engage in commercial sex acts while they stood watch outside of the motel room.
In some cases the child was transported to another location to perform the sex acts.
Lowe and Rose used the profits made to purchase illegal narcotics.
“There is no place in our community for those who prey on children,” said U.S. Attorney Louis Franklin in a statement. “I hope that these lengthy sentences send a clear message that exploiting and prostituting a child will not be tolerated.”
Seven individuals were charged in a 93-count federal indictment in connection to the seizure of Backpage.com.
“For far too long, Backpage.com existed as the dominant marketplace for illicit commercial sex, a place where sex traffickers frequently advertised children and adults alike,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said at the time.
“But this illegality stops right now. Last Friday, the Department of Justice seized Backpage, and it can no longer be used by criminals to promote and facilitate human trafficking.”
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