A Fort Smith man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to having a runaway 17-year-old girl work for him as a prostitute, according to U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser.
In a statement, the federal attorney for the Western District of Arkansas said Randall Tyrell Steward, 31, was sentenced this week to 151 months in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty in December to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
Steward appeared this week before Judge Timothy L. Brooks in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville for sentencing.
The teen told the FBI she ran away from home and came in contact with Steward, also known as Randall Stewart and "Trouble," in June 2015 and began working for him as a prostitute at a Fayetteville hotel a short time later, Elser said.
Steward used backpage.com to advertise her as a prostitute, she told authorities.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2015. The case was investigated by the FBI and Fort Smith Police Department.
NW News on 09/24/2016