A teenaged girl who committed “despicable” crimes as the leader of an Ottawa prostitution ring has been sentenced as an adult to six-and-a-half years in federal prison.
Kailey Oliver Machado -- who can be identified after being sentenced as an adult -- will get credit for the 878 days she has already spent in custody. She has about three years remaining on her sentence.
The 18-year-old is also banned from owning weapons, and must register as a sex offender.
Justice Diane Lahaie handed down the sentence in an Ottawa courtroom Tuesday morning.
Justice Lahaie called the accused’s crimes “despicable,” CTV Ottawa’s Joanne Schnurr tweeted from court.
A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 13 to determine where Oliver Machado will serve the remainder of her sentence.
Oliver Machado was found guilty in January of 27 charges, including procurement for the purpose of prostitution, human trafficking, making child pornography, sexual assault, child luring, uttering threats, and unlawful confinement.
Defence lawyers had sought a youth sentence, but the Crown had asked that she be sentenced as an adult.
Justice Lahaie said Tuesday that a youth sentence would not adequately reflect the teen’s crimes.
Oliver Machado was arrested in June 2012 when she was just 15 years of age. Two other teen girls, one aged 15 and one aged 16, were also arrested.
The other two girls pleaded guilty to numerous charges. One has served time as a young offender, while the other awaits sentencing.
The two other girls cannot be named under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Oliver Machado was accused of orchestrating a prostitution ring in which she lured teen girls into engaging in sex acts with older men. The victims, numbering seven in total, ranged in age from 13 to 17.
During the trial, three girls described how they were delivered to johns and forced to hand over earnings for performing sex acts.
“They were basically lured over to the accused’s house, sometimes for a sleepover. One girl brought her fuzzy pajamas and her teddy bear,” Schnurr reported Tuesday.
“And one by one individually, over a span of a few months, they would be drugged, they would be photographed naked, they would be beaten, their cellphones were stolen and they would be literally dragged into a car and taken to a john’s house and forced to perform sex.”
During a sentencing hearing last month, the youngest victim said she suffered nightmares and was diagnosed with PTSD, and ultimately had to leave Ottawa.
In a victim impact statement that she was too emotional to read herself, the victim said she had thought she was going to a sleepover at a friend’s house. Instead, she was drugged, forced to perform oral sex and threatened with being thrown off a balcony, Schnurr reported last month.
Another victim said she has contemplated suicide.
Investigators praised the victims for coming forward despite their ordeals.
“If it wasn’t for the girls, we wouldn’t be here today. It was their strength that got us here today,” Ottawa Police Sgt. Kelly Lyle said outside court Tuesday.
Det. Carolyn Botting said the sentence sends a message to anyone considering engaging in similar behaviour.
“I think this sets a pretty clear tone for youth considering this is an alternative lifestyle, as an employment opportunity,” Botting said.
