A man who exploited a 16-year-old girl and transported her across several states forcing her into prostitution could spend a lifetime behind bars for his crime. Hanoi Barbaro Acosta, 30, of Oregon was found guilty of transportation of a minor for prostitution by a federal jury Friday.
According to authorities, Acosta had taken the minor and three women from Portland, Ore., to Las Vegas and Mesa to work for him as prostitutes.
Mesa police rescued the girl, who had been threatened with death and harsh beatings, after she called her mother pleading for help.
The case was handled by the FBI because of the travel between states, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona. The penalty for a conviction for transportation of a minor for prostitution ranges from a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison to a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Acosta's sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 11 before U.S. District Judge Roslyn O. Silver.
