A jury convicted an ex-missionary of human trafficking after he admitted to smuggling a young woman into the United States to have a sexual relationship.
A judge sentenced Ronald Edward Strickland, a former Tennessee state trooper and U.S. Marine, to two and a half years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a $75,000 fine.
U.S. District Judge Sean Cox described Strickland as “a sexual predator who preys on young and vulnerable women” and “gave the families money so that they would allow him to have sex with their daughters.”
Strickland served as a missionary to Honduras, where he maintained a residence.
ClarksvilleNow reports Strickland devised a plan to smuggle the 22-year-old woman from Honduras into the United States in early 2016. He texted the woman about a sexual relationship and communicated with multiple people about the operation in January 2016.
Strickland was arrested and indicted in August 2016, pleaded guilty in June of this year and was sentenced this month.
