PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Shyniquah Lightner, 27, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to twenty years’ incarceration and fifteen years’ supervised release by United States District Judge C. Darnell Jones II for her role in a scheme to sex traffic minor children.

In 2016 and 2017, Lightner recruited two children, ages 14 and 15, to engage in commercial sex acts at a house in Philadelphia.  She advertised the children on the website Backpage.com, and she collected money from the sex buyers who came to the residence for sexual encounters with the minors.  Her co-defendant, Malik Hudson, participated in the trafficking of the 15-year-old.

“Lightner’s crimes were devastating to her minor victims,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Today’s sentence of twenty years’ incarceration reflects the seriousness of her crimes and the irrevocable damage she caused, all in pursuit of financial gain. We will continue to work collectively to investigate these destructive crimes against vulnerable children.”

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan.

Shyniquah Lightner, 26, and Malik Hudson, 21, both of Philadelphia, were charged today by Indictment[1] with sex trafficking of a minor, announced United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.

The indictment alleges that between July 2017 and September 2017, defendant Shyniquah Lightner was the operator of a prostitution venture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and defendant Malik Hudson assisted Lightner in the operation.  As part of the venture, Lightner recruited young females to work as prostitutes in her business, and she created Internet advertisements in which she marketed various females as available for purchase for purposes of prostitution.  These advertisements featured pictures of the females, either scantily clad or partially nude, a description of each female, and a phone number to call to arrange a meeting.  Defendants Lightner and Hudson used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to cause the females who worked for them to engage in commercial sex acts.  Two of the females Lightner recruited and advertised were under 18 years of age.  Lightner and Hudson are charged with sex trafficking of Minor 1.  Additionally, Lightner is charged in a second count with sex trafficking of Minor 2.

If convicted, Lightner faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison with a maximum possible sentence of life in prison, a minimum of 5 years up to lifetime-supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and a $200 special assessment.

If convicted, Hudson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison with a maximum possible sentence of life in prison, a minimum of 5 years up to lifetime-supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.

"We are privileged to have collaborated with our Human Trafficking Task Force partners in the investigation and attendant arrests," said Philadelphia Police Comissioner Ricard Ross. "Our collective efforts resulted in the arrests of two dangerous predators, and furthered our overarching mission to keep our children safe from exploitation."

"The task force brings together the expertise, training, experience, and law enforcement authorities of the partnered agencies to help identify human traffickers, and prosecute them while also protecting and aiding survivors.  “HSI Philadelphia is pleased that the newly formed multiagency Anti-Trafficking Coalition worked jointly on this investigation, and we look forward to expanding our partnerships with private and public entities to combat human trafficking,” said Marlon V. Miller, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia.

The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victim’s Unit (SVU) and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Natali.  This case is part of the Philadelphia Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force.  Members of the joint task force include the HSI Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police Department’s SVU, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Family Violence & Sexual Assault Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Salvation Army and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 





[1] An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.