ENFIELD–A Hartford resident was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for sexually trafficking a minor.
Romane St. Christopher McKenzie, who has aliases including Wookie, Rude and Rude Boy, will also have to serve five years of supervised release for the conviction. Since he is a Jamaican citizen, he will also face immigration proceedings when he is released from prison.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, the 24-year-old was arrested in November 2014 after a Department of Children and Families case worker alerted Enfield Police that a 15-year-old girl was advertising prostitution in Enfield on Backpage.com.
Police contacted the listed number and set up a fake meeting at a local hotel, and when they arrived they found evidence of prostitution and that the room had been rented by McKenzie, who was also present at the hotel.
The investigation revealed McKenzie was aware of the girl’s age, but paid for the prostitution advertisements on Backpage.com for her and other victims, and that he trafficked her at motels in Enfield and Windsor Locks. He also sold her crack cocaine.
McKenzie pleaded guilty on August 2 of this year to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
