PORT ORCHARD — The first man convicted of human trafficking in Kitsap County has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.
The Kitsap Sun reported that 34-year-old Anthony D. Parker of Port Orchard was convicted in November and prosecutors asked for an exceptional term at Tuesday’s sentencing. The penalty imposed by Superior Court Judge Sally Olsen is four years more than prosecutors sought. Deputy Prosecutor Farshad Talebi said Olsen added the extra time for acts of deliberate cruelty.
The newspaper said Parker has filed an appeal.
He also was convicted of other charges, including kidnapping, multiple counts of assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Defense lawyer Matthew Wareham said if Parker had been convicted of promoting prostitution — the law traditionally used against pimps — he would have faced about 10 years.
Prosecutor Russ Hauge said a lengthy sentence for human trafficking is deserved because of the brutality of pimps and the young age at which some women are forced into prostitution.
Lawmakers approved a 2003 law that defines trafficking as compelling someone’s labor through force, fraud or deceit.
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Information from: Kitsap Sun, http://www.kitsapsun.com/
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