United States v. Groce

Groce faced nine counts: three for sex trafficking; conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation for prostitution; interstate transportation for prostitution; maintaining a drug house; using or carrying a firearm in maintaining the drug house; attempted sex trafficking; and witness retaliation. The jury heard evidence he abused and coerced two women to cause them to prostitute involuntarily. He preyed on their drug addictions and other vulnerabilities, manipulated debts, and physically abused or threatened them and caused a third woman to prostitute involuntarily. He was convicted on all but Count 8, and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The Seventh Circuit vacated the witness retaliation convictions after the government conceded that the jury instruction failed to state a particular unsupported element. The court affirmed the sex trafficking convictions, rejecting Groce’s arguments that the trial court erred by excluding evidence of the victims’ alleged prostitution histories; barring cross-examination of a victim on her alleged prostitution history after she testified she had no such history; issuing an instruction lowering the mens rea (reckless disregard) required for sex trafficking; admitting prejudicial evidence of uncharged sex trafficking. View "United States v. Groce" on Justia Law