Cecil Jerome Hatchett, 32, of Las Vegas, Nevada, has admitted to transporting a person with the intent to engage in prostitution, according to U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich. Hatchett faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
The court is set to determine the final sentence at a hearing on May 4, and Hatchett will remain detained until then.
According to the Department of Justice, the case arose from an investigation into commercial sex activity in Billings, Montana, in April 2021.
Law enforcement officers responding to a call about possible prostitution at the Quality Inn in Billings found Hatchett and two others, Ashley Stella and Mark Jay Albrecht, in a room at the hotel.
Stella and a minor female, referred to as Jane Doe 1, told investigators that they had traveled from Nevada to Montana for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex. Stella also admitted to meeting Jane Doe 1 in the fall of 2020 and learning of her true age later that year.
Evidence found on electronic media belonging to Stella and Jane Doe 1 included messages between Hatchett and Stella discussing the commercial sex appointments of Stella and Jane Doe 1.
Law enforcement also discovered a rental car in Hatchett's name that Stella and Jane Doe 1 used to travel to Montana for the purpose of prostitution. Prostitution was illegal in Montana at the time.
Stella has already been sentenced to eight years in prison for transporting a minor to engage in prostitution, while Albrecht has pleaded guilty to prostitution near military and navy establishments and is awaiting sentencing.
