CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A Cleveland man was sentenced Monday to at least 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple human trafficking charges involving a decade-long operation that exploited 12 women across several states.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Jennifer O’Donnell handed down the sentence to Deondre Inkton, a 32-year-old Tier III sex offender. In her remarks, Judge O’Donnell harshly criticized Inkton’s actions: “You isolated them and created an environment where they relied on you for everything. You dehumanized them. Mr. Inkton, you are a person who has no respect for women.”
According to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley, Inkton trafficked women from January 2014 to March 2024, often using violence and drugs to maintain control, profiting off the victims’ exploitation. He promoted their services online and transported them across 12 U.S. states, including Ohio and Nevada, to engage in prostitution.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called the case “textbook human trafficking,” noting that Inkton was connected to more than 4,000 online sex ads, with over 2,000 posted in Ohio.
Inkton pleaded guilty on February 5 to:
Three counts of trafficking in persons
Four counts of promoting prostitution
One count of sexual battery
One count of money laundering
One count of possessing criminal tools
During sentencing, Inkton’s defense attempted to shift partial blame to the victims, suggesting Inkton wasn’t always present when acts occurred. Inkton himself disputed the legitimacy of the investigation, claiming he was “wrongfully and illegally searched” and hinting at an appeal.
Judge O’Donnell closed by highlighting the irony of Inkton’s fate: “I find it ironic that you sit here today having been prosecuted by an all-female team and sentenced by a female judge.”
