Fourth and Final Co-Defendant in Brutal West Philly Sex Trafficking Case Sentenced to 17 ½ Years in Prison

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Rafael Robinson, 35, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to seventeen years and six months in prison, ten years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $459,000 restitution by United States District Judge C. Darnell Jones II, for sex trafficking of an adult by force.

The defendant is the fourth and final member of a brutal sex trafficking ring in West Philadelphia to be sentenced. According to court documents, the four defendants ran a strip club, known as “Club Passions,” and a brothel, known as “Passionate Touch,” at a leased property in the Mill Creek section of West Philadelphia. Along with his three co-defendants, the defendant engaged in acts of force, threats, fraud and coercion to cause a young woman referenced as “Person 1” in the second Superseding Indictment to engage in prostitution over the course of approximately three years, including subjecting her to repeated acts of sadistic torture.

The defendant and his co-defendant, Kevino Graham, were convicted by a jury on February 5, 2016. Graham was convicted of two counts of sex trafficking by force, and attempted sex trafficking by force, and was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Co-defendant Brian Wright pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 21 years and ten months in prison. Co-defendant Renato Teixeira pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison.

“The crimes committed in this case were truly horrific,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “And while the victims may never fully recover from the crimes committed against them, they can rest assured that these four perpetrators have now been brought to justice. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at all levels to relentlessly investigate and prosecute human trafficking crimes.”

“The actions of Rafael Robinson and his co-defendants were unconscionable,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “While it’s gratifying to see the last member of this sex trafficking ring handed a lengthy term, no sentence can make up for the terrible physical and emotional harm these men inflicted. We hope those they victimized continue to heal with each new day that passes. Combatting sex trafficking remains squarely in the FBI’s sights, as we work to free victims from such cruel and calculating exploitation and to hold accountable the ruthless criminals who would engage in such heinous acts.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Morgan.