East Hartford Woman Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking of Minors

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Lanny A. Breuer, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, today announced that HASSANAH DELIA, 24, of East Hartford, was sentenced yesterday, June 23, by United States District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to 110 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for the sex trafficking of two minor girls in 2009.

According to court documents and statements made in court, DELIA and Jarell Sanderson recruited two 14-year-old girls to work as prostitutes. In July 2009, Sanderson and DELIA transported the girls to hotels in Hartford and East Hartford where the girls engaged in sexual conduct with men in exchange for money that was paid either to Sanderson or DELIA. The men who paid to engage in sexual conduct with the girls had responded to an advertisement placed on a website by Sanderson by calling a phone that was answered by DELIA, who then set up appointments for the girls.

On December 7, 2010, DELIA pleaded guilty to two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.

Sanderson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children and two counts of sex trafficking of children. On June 7, 2011, he was sentenced to 310 months of imprisonment.

DELIA and Sanderson will be required to pay restitution to the minor victims in an amount to be determined after further court proceedings.

U.S. Attorney Fein noted that federal prisoners are required to serve at least 85 percent of their sentenced term of imprisonment and are not eligible for parole.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the East Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David E. Novick and Trial Attorney Alecia Riewerts Wolak of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice.

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