Long Beach Man Accused of Forcing Teen Girl into Sex Trade

If convicted, Ralph Allen Jackson, Jr., faces 15 years to life in prison.

An alleged child sex trafficker from Long Beach, accused of beating a teen girl and forcing her to have sex with men, was scheduled to make is first court appearance in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.

If convicted, Ralph Allen Jackson, Jr., 40, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years to life in federal prison, according to Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office.

"She (the victim) was forced to act as a prostitute to at least 50 men, charging anywhere from $40 to $80 dollars for each sex act she was forced to perform," said Mrozek.

A criminal complaint obtained by NBC 4 details the ordeal the 17-year-old victim endured over two weeks.

Jackson forced the girl to work the streets for 12 hours a day without eating, drinking or using the bathroom while she worked, according to the complaint. He also forced her to get a tattoo of his name with a crown and allegedly threatened to beat her if she did not comply.

The complaint also revealed the victim was forced to make a minimum of $600 a day or face a beating by Jackson.

Human trafficking, once regarded as an "overseas problem" has recently become a rapidly growing trend in the United States, according to Kay Buck, chief executive officer of Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST).

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"Los Angeles is known as one of the top three ports of entry and destination cities for where traffickers bring their victims," said Buck.

So far this year, 70 child-exploitation cases have been identified in Los Angeles County, according to a county spokeswoman.

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