Army sergeant pleads guilty to sex trafficking of child in Washington state

Army sergeant guilty of sex trafficking in Wash.

TACOMA, Wash. — A 27-year-old Army sergeant from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state has pleaded guilty in federal court to sex trafficking of a child and attempted sex trafficking of a child.

Prosecutors say Sterling Hospedales set up one juvenile in a Lakewood apartment to work as a prostitute and had a second juvenile flown in from Wyoming to do the same.

Prosecutors agreed to seek a sentence of 10 to 15 years in prison, but he could get life.

The Army is dishonorably discharging him.

Lakewood police began the investigation in April 2009, when officers found out about a juvenile runaway from Seattle who was posting Craigslist ads that said she was a prostitute. The federal Innocence Lost Task Force then found that juvenile and a second girl.