Pierce County man sentenced after pleading guilty to promoting prostitution
A man accused of advertising a teenager online for sex in Pierce County has been sentenced.
Alrico Ray Coleman, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree promoting prostitution Thursday.
Superior Court Judge Stephanie Arend gave him a high-end sentence of a year, which the attorneys agreed to recommend.
He’s already served that time, according to court records.
Charging papers made these allegations about what happened:
A task force that investigates child sex trafficking identified Coleman as a suspect and asked a Tacoma detective to investigate in 2017.
The detective found advertisements online that listed Coleman’s contact information, including for a girl who was born in 2000, which would have made her 15 or 16 at the time.
There were 134 ads found using the girl’s information from July 9, 2016, to Oct. 20, 2016.
The girl’s social media account showed her in some of the same clothing, made reference to her making money, used the same alias as the ads, and suggested she and Coleman were dating.
Letters from Coleman’s friends and supporters were filed with the court last year as part of a motion to reduce his bail. They described him as a hard worker who volunteered in the community and had experienced homelessness.
The plea means the victim won’t have to testify at a trial, the state wrote in a statement to the court.
A no-contact order prohibits Coleman from contacting the victim.
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
