The evidence revealed that Session wielded a firearm to instill fear and exert control over his victims. He was often seen with a gun, which he would brandish or mention during conversations.
Image From Highlands News Sun: Session
A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida found Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, from Lake Placid, guilty on 13 counts related to the sex trafficking of nearly a dozen women and girls after a nine-day trial. Between July 2011 and July 2013, he forced some victims into commercial sex acts, while others were coerced from February 2016 to February 2019.
During the trial, evidence revealed that Session lured women and girls facing unstable living situations, substance abuse issues, and neglect with false promises of legitimate employment and housing support. He presented himself as caring and understanding, only to exploit their vulnerabilities for his gain. The victims were often forced into sex acts in deplorable conditions, such as rundown trailers used by migrant workers or in nearby orange groves.
“The defendant used despicable and horrific means to terrify and coerce nearly a dozen women and girls to engage in commercial sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
At times, Session manipulated his victims through deprivation of food and shelter. For instance, he would deny one victim meals if they failed to comply with his demands. Frequently, he forced his victims into sexual acts with him after they had endured a night of coerced intercourse with as many as 18 men.
Moreover, the trial revealed that Session employed severe physical violence to dominate and instill fear in certain victims. He would strike some victims violently in the back of their heads to avoid leaving visible injuries. On one occasion, he dragged a victim into a shower and assaulted her with a metal nutcracker until she collapsed. He also choked another victim until she lost consciousness, attacked another with a baseball bat, and inflicted such severe harm on yet another that her nose ring was dislodged from the impact. Additionally, Session took several victims to a nearby lake, where he submerged their heads underwater, threatening to drown them if they did not obey his commands.
The evidence revealed that Session wielded a firearm to instill fear and exert control over his victims. He was often seen with a gun, which he would brandish or mention during conversations. On one occasion, while driving, he aimed a firearm at a victim and threatened to "kill" her after she questioned how he would react if someone treated his daughter the same way he treated her. Terrified for her safety, the victim leaped from the car and fled into the nearby woods when Session stopped and approached her side. In a chilling response, he fired a shot into the air while shouting her name.
Moreover, the evidence suggested that Session exploited the substance abuse issues of some victims to coerce them into providing commercial sex services. For instance, he supplied victims with cocaine and methamphetamine, ensuring they had enough energy to engage in sexual acts with multiple migrant men at nearby trailers.
“Today’s verdict is a step towards justice for the nearly dozen victims who were forced by Shannima Yuantrell Session into sex trafficking and endured his reign of horrendous and abusive control,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office.
A sentencing hearing is set for December 19. Session is looking at a minimum of 15 years behind bars, with a potential maximum sentence of life in prison, along with mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will decide the final sentence, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and various statutory factors.
The investigation was carried out by the FBI Miami Field Office and the Ft. Pierce Resident Agency, with support from the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
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