East Hartford

East Hartford Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Sex Trafficking: Officials

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An East Hartford man is being sentenced to 11 years in prison for his role in child sex trafficking in Connecticut, according to the Department of Justice.

Officials said 24-year-old Joel Lindsay, known as "Joey Guapo," was sentenced to 135 months, of 11 years, in prison on Thursday.

Court documents show that in October 2019, Lindsay allegedly conspired with his associate to "recruit, entice and transport a 16-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts."

He's accused of picking up the girl and taking her to a hotel in East Windsor, where he took photographs of her and posted them on a website to advertise her sexual services, according to court documents. Officials said Lindsay then arranged prostitution appointments for the girl.

Over the course of the next few days, Lindsay posted more advertisements on the same website and arranged more prostitution appointments, the DOJ said.

Investigators said Lindsay also engaged in sexual activity with the girl, even though he knew she was underage. The teen told police that he physically assaulted her.

Lindsay has been detained since 2020 and in October of 2021, he pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor, according to authorities.

The incident is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

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