Washington State Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking
Dominique Terrel Gonzales, 35, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of sex trafficking a minor. Gonzales has been in federal custody since his arrest for illegal firearms possession in August 2020. The court has set a restitution hearing date for Aug. 18.
According to court documents, Gonzales first met the victim when she was 13 or 14 years old. In July and August 2020, when the victim was 17 years old, Gonzales caused her to engage in commercial sex acts. He arranged her travel across state lines and directed her acts in a rented apartment in Portland, Oregon. Gonzales collected the illicit proceeds and controlled the victim with various rules that he implemented.
“Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for the criminal conduct he perpetrated for years within the Western District of Washington,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Predators who target and coerce the vulnerable face appropriately serious sanctions under federal law, and the Justice Department will continue to seek significant sentences to vindicate the rights of human trafficking victims.”
“For years this defendant used violence, threats, and emotional coercion to force vulnerable young women into having sex with strangers and giving their earnings to him,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. “He preyed upon teenagers and young women who were insecure and estranged from their families. To maintain control over his victims, Gonzales physically beat them, verbally assaulted them, and forced them to install tracking programs on their cellphones so that he could follow their every move. He used whatever means necessary to ensure that his victims engaged in prostitution to fund his luxurious lifestyle.”
“Today’s sentencing is a powerful reminder that those who prey on vulnerable children through violence and exploitation will be held fully accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle. “This individual used force and coercion to rob a minor of their freedom and dignity, and justice has now been served. This outcome was made possible through the unwavering collaboration with our law enforcement partners across multiple jurisdictions, whose dedication and coordination were vital to this investigation. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting victims, dismantling trafficking networks, and ensuring that those responsible face the full weight of the law.”
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Olympia Police Department, Vancouver Police Department, Idaho State Police, Ada County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), and the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Department of Justice
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Source: Justice.gov
