An Opelika, Alabama, woman is heading to federal prison for over 11 years after admitting her role in a commercial sex trafficking operation that exploited a 17-year-old.
Last Thursday, U.S. Attorney Thomas Govan announced the sentencing of 24-year-old Jada Renee Coggins. On June 10, a federal judge ordered Coggins to serve 135 months in prison, which will be followed by five years of supervised release. Because she was convicted in the federal system, she will not be eligible for parole. Coggins is also required to remain on the sex offender registry for the rest of her life.
Court documents and her own plea agreement outline the crimes, which took place in December 2023. Coggins admitted to working with 31-year-old Chloe Michelle Alexander, who is also from Opelika, to induce a 17-year-old into commercial sex acts. Coggins confessed to taking sexually explicit photographs of the teenager and posting them on various websites as advertisements. She also admitted to driving the minor to the locations where the commercial sex occurred. Both women pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
“Commercial sex trafficking inflicts deep and lasting harm, especially when minors are involved,” U.S. Attorney Govan said. “Removing those who exploit minors from our streets makes our communities safer and protects future potential victims. Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute individuals who participate in these schemes and seek justice for the victims.”
Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, also weighed in on the sentencing.
“Sex trafficking of minors is one of the most appalling crimes our society faces,” Schrank said. “No child should ever be subjected to this kind of exploitation and abuse. The pain inflicted on victims and their families is profound and lasting. HSI, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and dismantle trafficking networks, and we will not rest until those who prey on children are brought to justice.”
While Coggins has received her sentence, Alexander is still waiting for hers. She is scheduled to go before a judge in August and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district judge will decide her exact sentence after taking the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors into account.
The investigation was a joint effort between Homeland Security Investigations, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Opelika Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara S. Ratz, J. Patrick Lamb, and Russell T. Duraski are prosecuting the case.
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