Wichita man convicted of sex trafficking pimped girl, 15, on ‘dates,’ prosecutors say

A Wichita man has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a teenage girl, officials said.

Johnell Carter, 22, of Wichita, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of sex trafficking, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said in a release.

On the first count, Carter admitted in his plea agreement to using force — including punching and biting — to make an 18-year-old woman to perform commercial sex acts at Wichita hotels, which he advertised online. On the second count, Carter admitted to recruiting a 15-year-old girl for prostitution then pimping her out through online ads.

Federal prosecutors said in an indictment that the girl told them that she was pimped out by Carter and his girlfriend, Jazmin Manuel.

The indictment alleges that Carter would advertise the girl on Backpage. At her first “date,” Carter gave her a condom, told her to go into a house near Murdock and Edgemoor, do whatever the man wanted, get money and call after she was finished having sex, prosecutors said.

Carter took about $60 of the $100 that the girl was paid.

Carter’s sentencing is set for March. Prosecution and defense have agreed to recommend a federal prison sentence of 15-25 years.

Prosecutors alleged that Manuel took the girl to San Antonio, where she had been advertised on Backpage and had sex with men. Manuel has been charged with sex trafficking of a child.

In connection to the case, co-defendant Christian L. Dixon, 28, pleaded guilty in November to one count of carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. He admitted in the plea deal to driving prostitutes to meet with customers, obtaining drugs and robbing a customer at gunpoint.

Carter, Dixon and Manuel were allegedly paid by about 50 men who had sex with the girl, prosecutors previously said.

Kansas Department of Corrections records show Johnell E. Carter has previous convictions in Sedgwick County of robbery, aggravated burglary and criminal threat.