COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Two South Carolina women, Monesha Tatayana Lapri Gary, 24, of Clinton, and Rebecca Melanie Perry, 30, of Columbia, have pleaded guilty to charges related to the trafficking of three minors for commercial sex.
In a federal court in Columbia, both women admitted their involvement in a conspiracy with co-defendants Antonio Marquis Nicholson and Terrell Counts, to exploit three minors from at least December 2022 through August 2023.
Evidence presented in court showed that Nicholson and Perry recruited one of the victims, a runaway, at a hotel and transported her across state lines. They told her she would work in the commercial sex trade, bought her lingerie, took photos of her, and posted advertisements on the internet. They arranged for her to meet customers at various hotels, including those in the Columbia area.
In addition, two other minors were recruited near a high school, and the conspiracy used the internet to advertise and facilitate the trafficking operation. Nicholson is accused of setting the prices for the commercial sex, collecting proceeds, and deciding how the money would be distributed among the victims.
Gary and Perry were involved in the operation by posing as minor victims in online chats with customers, taking one of the minors to another city to be exploited, collecting proceeds, and handing them over to Nicholson, all while the victims were far from their families. One victim was allegedly physically assaulted during the ordeal, and several of the conspirators were found to have guns and drugs in their possession.
Under their plea agreement, Gary and Perry will pay restitution to the victims. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted their guilty pleas and will determine their sentencing. An indictment is pending for Nicholson and Counts.
