Houston man sentenced to 26 years in prison for trafficking a minor | State

HOUSTON, Texas — 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 Akeem Olajuwon Winfield, 38, during a three-day trial last week of forcing a 15-year-old runaway into prostitution in 2018. The teen had recently moved to Houston with her family and was staying at a motel in west Houston. 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 hide her face from the surveillance cameras because he knew she was underage. He sexually assaulted the teen multiple times, then forced her to take pictures for online ads for prostitutes. He also forced her to watch another prostitute have sex with a client to familiarize her 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.