Man who forced girls into prostitution gets 10-year sentence

A West Side man who forced three young girls into prostitution was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in federal prison.

Arnell Chase Misher, 31, enticed the girls to engage in sex acts for money during the summer of 2012, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. The victims were 13, 16 and 17 years old at the time.

Misher admitted he helped create an advertisement on Backpage.com that featured explicit photos of the 17-year-old, prosecutors said.

He also admitted personally taking the youngest girl to “the track,” an area known for prostitution, and waiting for her to come back with money from encounters with adult men, prosecutors said.

Misher pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, according to prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber sentenced him to 10 years in prison Thursday, the statement said. Misher must serve five years of supervised release following his prison time.

“The seriousness of the defendant’s crime cannot be overstated,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Parente said in a prepared statement. “The damage that has been done to these minor children will never, and can never, be undone.”

A co-defendant, 23-year-old Chicago resident Braundii Young, pleaded guilty to the same charge and will be sentenced Aug. 27, prosecutors said.