Staff report
Bremerton resident Allixzander D. Harris (aka Park), 24, was sentenced last week in Kitsap County Superior Court to 486 months in prison for eight counts related to the sex trafficking of 16-, 17- and 27-year-old victims.
Harris was found guilty Aug. 28 of all eight counts after a three-week trial. The convictions include six counts of promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor, promoting prostitution in the second degree and witness tampering. The jury also found eight aggravating factors, including the victimization of homeless youth and committing these offenses shortly after being released from incarceration, allowing the judge to go beyond the standard range sentence set by the legislature.
At sentencing, Judge Sally F. Olsen said she was mindful of the victims’ fear of Harris and how these crimes have affected their lives. Judge Olsen imposed an exceptional sentence above the top of the range adding an additional two years for each aggravating factor of the victimization of homeless youth and an extra year for each aggravating factor of rapid recidivism. Harris will also be required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison.
“This sentence is long but fair in light of the harm this kind of conduct does to our community,” said Kitsap County Prosecutor Russ Hauge. “Harris got the sentence he earned. The credit belongs to the Bremerton Police Department Special Operations Group (SOG) and the deputy prosecutors who tried the case, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Coreen Schnepf and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Farshad Talebi.”
According to records filed in the case, Harris began a relationship with a 17-year-old girl and within weeks began selling her and her 16-year-old “sister” as prostitutes. Harris trained them using an experienced prostitute and then began selling the girls on internet sites like Backpage.com and TNAboard.com. Harris transported the victims to “Johns” in Kitsap, Pierce, King and Thurston Counties, making the arrangements, negotiating the prices, renting hotel rooms and keeping all the proceeds. He also was controlling, even about what and when the teenage girls could eat. Once the minors were no longer available to him, Harris and two co-defendants trained a 27-year-old victim by repeatedly having sex with her in a motel room and then shortly after sold her on the internet as a prostitute for multiple days.
The Bremerton Police Department’s Special Operations Group (SOG) conducted an ongoing investigation during the almost two-year period while the case was pending trial. Led by Sergeant Randy Plumb, the complex investigation resulted in the conviction of four co-conspirators and four customers.
“This kind of activity will not be tolerated in our community and we will aggressively investigate anyone involved in exploiting kids,” said Bremerton Police Chief Steve Strachan. “The young girls are victims, and the pimps, their adult employees and the Johns are nothing but predatory criminals.”
The Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office has emphasized prosecuting human trafficking related crimes since 2012. The effort is a successful partnership with local, regional and federal police and victim support agencies.
