Prostitution kingpin may face life in prison

A 37-year-old Memphis man who branded prostitutes with "T-Rex" faces a possible sentence of life in prison, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Thursday.

Terrence Yarbrough, a/k/a, “T-Rex,” 37, was convicted Wednesday in federal court on 10 counts of sex trafficking and one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud.

"Victims recounted a series of violent acts perpetrated by Yarbrough to coerce them into prostituting for him," the FBI said, "including beatings with belts, wooden coat hangers, crowbars, padlocks, and dog chains. They also testified to being thrown down stairs, having their heads smashed in car doors, having their legs burned with irons, and being scalded with boiling water."

One victim testified that Yarbrough forced her to engage in prostitution the entire time she was pregnant with his child. He frequently beat her on the stomach when she did not want to comply with his demands.

"He had her working as a prostitute in Tunica in her eighth month of pregnancy when he induced her labor through a severe beating," the FBI said. "Yarbrough drove her back to Memphis and dropped her off at a hospital. The day after she left the hospital following childbirth, Yarbrough forced her to resume prostituting. Sometime later, Yarbrough smashed her on the head with a lamp and kicked out her front teeth when she tried to stop prostituting for him."

Jurors were shown the “T-Rex” logos Yarbrough tattooed on four separate victims, the FBI said, and heard that he claimed that they had been “branded” as his property. Testimony and jail recordings showed that Yarbrough confiscated his victims' identification documents as well as all their money to make it difficult for them to escape.

Yarbrough prostituted females as young as 15 years old, the FBI said.

“This verdict sends a clear message that human trafficking will not be tolerated in the United States,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The defendant brutally exploited vulnerable young women and girls and deprived them of their rights and dignity so he could profit by selling their bodies. Securing justice on behalf of the victims of modern-day slavery is one of the highest priorities of the Civil Rights Division.”

“Sex traffickers can be violent abusers or simply subtle manipulators who prey upon those whose circumstances of life make them vulnerable and cruelly exploit their victims for profit,” said Aaron T. Ford, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The FBI is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable human traffickers for their crimes and get help for the victims in these heartbreaking cases.”

Jurors also heard testimony that Yarbrough conspired with his mother, Norma Yarbrough Webb, 65, and Michelle Johnson, 40, to fraudulently obtain food stamp benefits while Yarbrough was incarcerated. Johnson and Webb previously pled guilty to related charges.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the St. Louis Police Department.

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