Human Trafficking Summit In Georgia Part 2: Atrocities of Amador Cortez-Mesa

WABE's Rose Scott reports on a sex trafficking ring which imported girls and women from outside the United States.

A WARNING, the following story contains descriptions of abuse and may be unsuitable for some listeners.

The mastermind was Amador Cortez Mesa.

He would convince young girls and women he loved them and promised jobs and a fairy tale life.

Instead, they would be smuggled from Mexico to the Atlanta area.

TRAFFICKING VICTIM:

“I worked in prostitution for almost a year, I've never wanted to do that, I never wanted to do that”

Through an interpreter, two of Mesa's victims talked about their ordeals.

They were both in their teens when he brought them to the US as virtual captives.

Mesa would not let them contact relatives and threatened to kill them.

The sex trafficking ring was a family business.

Mesa's brother Francisco and a nephew were also involved.

The victims described the abuse that took place inside a Norcross home.

TRAFFICKING VICTIM:

“I bled from my nose and from my head when he hit me with a stick over the head and he never took me to the hospital, I never improved”

Then, the authorities received an unexpected break.

Wire taps revealed young sex workers were being sent to Georgia.

Mesa's trafficking ring was exposed.

At his trial, nine victims testified about Mesa's brutality.

The two women in this story say their life is much better and are thankful to immigration and law officials.

However, they also know so many are not rescued.

TRAFFICKING VICTIM:

“now I can speak to people but on the one hand we can't wipe this out overnight, it's sad, it's awful, it's horrible”

On Nov. 24, 2010 Amador Cortez Mesa was convicted on federal charges including sex trafficking of minors and smuggling aliens into the United States for purposes of prostitution.

In March of this year, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution to his victims.