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Friday, April 19, 2024 | Back issues
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Georgia Man Gets 30 Years for Sex Trafficking

MARIETTA (CN) - What was expected to be a two-week sex trafficking trial ended after just four days with a Sandy Springs, Georgia man pleading guilty to multiple charges.

Martez Martell Fuque, 23, pleaded guilty June 18 to 11 charges in all, including trafficking a minor for sex and trying to dissuade her from cooperating with prosecutors, the Cobb County District Attorney's Office said.

As his victim looked on, Fuque, who also goes by the aliases "Diablo," "Redwings Diablo" and "King Joffey Joe," was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Cobb Superior Court Judge C. LaTain Kell also fined Fuque $10,000 on the charge of attempting to influence a witness.

Co-defendants Naquana James and Mariah Rutledge also pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a witness and were sentenced to 12 and 10 years, respectively.

James, 20, and Rutledge, 19, were also slapped with $10,000 fines.

Fuque admitted to trafficking a 17-year-old girl at the Cobb Galleria Inn in Smyrna, Georgia, and taking photos of her genitalia in the spring of 2012. The victim, who later moved to another state, called 911 to report the incident.

The FBI Child Exploitation Task Forces in Atlanta and Ohio worked with the Cobb District Attorney's Office to investigate the case.

Prosecutors said while Fuque was in custody awaiting trial in March, he called James and Rutledge to devise a plan to pay off the victim to keep her quiet.

Cobb Assistant District Attorney Susan Treadaway prosecuted the case.

Representatives for Fuque could not be reached for comment.

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