By Joe Johnson
An Athens man recently received a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to keeping a place of prostitution for a person under 18 years old.
According to a formal accusation filed March 2 in Clarke County Superior Court, 24-year-old Terrance Oneal Jones of Rhodes Drive allowed an underage girl to use his hotel room for the purpose of prostitution.
Jones was arrested Feb. 22, 2019 while Athens-Clarke County police, at the request of the Henry County Police Department, were searching in Athens for a 16-year-old runaway girl.
“The juvenile was located,” said Capt. Christopher Nichols, commanding officer of the Criminal Investigations Division. “During the investigation we discovered a case of human trafficking. As a result, Jones was identified and arrested,” Nichols said.
According to court records, Jones was initially charged with trafficking a person for sexual servitude.
Last Thursday, Jones pleaded guilty to the lesser charge and was sentenced by Western Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Eric Norris to 18 to 24 months in a diversion center and 10 years on probation.
Jones, who had been free on bond, reported to the jail on Monday to begin serving his sentence.