NC man convicted of running sex trafficking ring in York County, 2 other states

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – A 34-year-old North Carolina man has been convicted of running a sex trafficking ring in South Carolina, including in York County, and in two other states.

Acting U.S. Attorney Beth Drake announced the conviction Friday of Samuel “Promise” Pratt of Gastonia, N.C. He was found guilty of sex trafficking, child pornography and gun charges. U.S. Judge Terry Wooten of Columbia will sentence Pratt later.

The trafficking of women and underage girls - including one as young as 14 years old, and another 17, included crimes at motels in northern York County on Carowinds Boulevard, said Jim May, the assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted Pratt and Pratt's mother.

Officials also said the ring operated in North Carolina and New York.

The ring had tentacles in Gaston County and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, as well as York County and the Columbia area in South Carolina, May said.

The jury needed just 54 minutes to come back with guilty verdicts on all eight counts, May said.

The maximum penalty on five of the eight counts is life in prison.

Drake says the four-day trial proved Pratt ran a prostitution business of both adults and juveniles. Two of the victims were 14-years-old and 17-years-old when they were recruited.

Drake says Pratt’s conviction represents South Carolina’s first jury verdict on human trafficking charges.

Pratt’s mother, Daphne Pratt, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sex traffic children.

This story was originally published December 9, 2016 at 4:35 PM with the headline "NC man convicted of running sex trafficking ring in York County, 2 other states."