Joliet man sentenced to 27 years for sex trafficking and coercion of women

JOLIET, Ill. – A Joliet man was sentenced to 27 years in prison for sex trafficking and facilitating the sex trafficking of multiple women.

The Justice Department said 29-year-old Kendall Guyton admitted in a plea deal to recruiting three women for commercial sex acts between 2017 and 2020. Guyton also admitted to promoting commercial sex acts online and arranging for the victims to meet people at various locations in the Chicago area.

Guyton also allegedly gave illegal drugs to his victims, including heroin and cocaine, and also beat his victims, forcing them to give in to his demands.

During his sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Guyton facilitated the trafficking of at least five other victims, including a minor, by beating and sexually abusing them, officials said.

Guyton pleaded guilty last year to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. A judge imposed the 27-year prison sentence Thursday during a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

Officials are assisting a co-defendant, 45-year-old Gregory Ingram of Richton Park, Illinois, who also pleaded guilty to trafficking multiple victims, including a 14-year-old he invited to live in his home while he trafficked her. Ingram also used drugs and threats to control the 14-year-old.

A judge sentenced Ingram to 20 years in prison.

“The defendant’s crimes were incredibly serious and had long-lasting consequences for his victims,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine M. O’Neill and Prashant Kolluri said in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Guyton’s case. “The suspect knew that these women were vulnerable and he took advantage of these vulnerabilities.”

Anyone who believes they have been a victim of sexual exploitation is encouraged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678 or by click here. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.