On Thursday, May 4, 2017, John C. “G” Guerra, a convicted pimp and trafficker, was sentenced to 37 to 74 years in prison for crimes he committed as the head of a Philadelphia prostitution ring. Several other members of Guerra’s criminal conspiracy ring received much shorter sentences.
Guerra operated a commercial sexual exploitation enterprise out of Philadelphia area hotels from 2008 to 2010. Guerra forced his victims to have sex with multiple men every day and kept them drug-addicted, hungry, and terrified.
The Commonwealth’s case against Guerra began back in 2009, nearly five years before Pennsylvania passed Act 105, the state’s comprehensive human trafficking statute. Guerra was a fugitive from justice for four years after the ring was busted in 2010. Over the years, the Commonwealth and members of local and state law enforcement have altered their responses to commercial sexual exploitation as the realities prostituted people face become better known and understood.
Following the sentencing, State Attorney General Josh Shapiro reiterated his commitment to “making human trafficking a top priority” for his administration. The CSE Institute commends law enforcement agencies throughout the Commonwealth that no longer treat prostitution like a victim-less crime, but rather make a commitment to target demand and help prostituted people access life-saving services.