Two weeks after unexpectedly pleading guilty to charges involving child prostitution, a pimp who lured nine victims into his racket has been sentenced.
The B.C. Prosecution Service says Michael William Bannon was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison, which will keep him behind bars for approximately 10 years after allowing for nearly four years of time served.
The court heard Bannon contacted his victims over social media, then used those victims to find others he could drag into his child prostitution scheme.
Sometimes Bannon would drive his victims to his so-called clients’ homes, other times he would arrange locations at hotels via text message.
Bannon was originally charged with 25 counts of luring, controlling, and living off the avails of the nine young women, and on Jan. 30 he pleaded guilty to 22 of 25 counts.
Eight of the nine women caught up were under 18, another passed away before the case went to trial.