Former Oklahoma woman pleads guilty to coercing minor into Pa. for prostitution
A former Tulsa, Okla., woman has pleaded guilty to coercing a minor to travel from Ohio to Pennsylvania to engage in prostitution.
Shelby Summer Brown, 28, entered a guilty plea to a count of coercion and a count of conspiracy in the case before U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon in Pittsburgh, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady announced Thursday.
According to court documents, Brown agreed with another suspect, Oscar Carter, to persuade and coerce the minor to cross state lines to engage in prostitution between March 6 and 14, 2018.
The FBI, Cranberry Township Police, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted an investigation that led to the rescue of the victim and the prosecution of Brown.
Carter, also of Tulsa, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of sex trafficking and interstate transportation of a minor in the case involving a girl .
Bissoon ordered Brown’s detainment to continue, pending sentencing, scheduled for Jan. 14.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. The initiative gathers federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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