Houston man sentenced to 26 years in prison for trafficking teens – Harris County prosecutor

A 38-year-old Houston man has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for trafficking a minor, District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Tuesday.

“A man who preys on a teenage girl is a predator and deserves to spend decades in prison,” Ogg said. “This victim had the courage to help put her attacker in prison, and we are grateful to the jurors who helped bring justice to this young girl.”

A jury convicted and sentenced Akeem Olajuwon Winfield, 38, during a three-day trial last week of forcing a 15-year-old runaway into prostitution in 2018.

The teenager had recently moved to Houston with her family and was staying at a motel on the city’s west side. That’s where she met Winfield, who persuaded her to stay with him at another motel.

When they arrived at his motel, he forced her to cover her face so she wouldn’t be seen by the surveillance cameras because he knew she wasn’t an adult.

He sexually assaulted the teenager multiple times, then forced her to take photos for online prostitute ads. He also forced her to watch another prostitute have sex with a client so she could become familiar with the process.

The elderly woman became angry and tried to leave Winfield’s room, who then began assaulting her. Several people heard the altercation and called authorities, so Winfield and the prostitute fled the motel to escape police. The teenager was later picked up by Houston police.

During the trial, the victim testified against Winfield and, after his conviction, she gave a victim impact statement.

Assistant District Attorney Steven Denman prosecuted the case in his role in the DA’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Division along with ADA Brianna Kibler.

“This defendant was a pimp and the victim was a perfect victim to exploit,” Denman said. “These cases are important to our office and individuals like this deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law because they pose a serious threat to the community, especially our youngest citizens.”

Winfield will have to serve at least half of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

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