After a nine-day trial, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida found Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, of Lake Placid, Florida, guilty of 13 charges related to sex trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls. The trafficking crimes took place between July 2011 and July 2013, and again between February 2016 and February 2019, during which Session coerced his victims into committing commercial sex acts.
“The defendant used despicable and horrific means to terrify and coerce nearly a dozen women and girls into commercial sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This prosecution is a testament to the courageous survivors who cooperated with law enforcement to hold the defendant accountable for years of cruelty and exploitation.”
Read: Florida Marijuana Legalization Campaign Raises $100 Million, Fueled By Big Cannabis
Session exploited vulnerable women and girls, many of whom struggled with unstable living conditions, substance abuse, or neglect. He lured them with promises of legitimate work and housing assistance, only to later coerce them into commercial sex in unsanitary and dangerous environments, such as trailers housing migrant workers and local orange groves.
Session used food and shelter as tools of control, often depriving victims of meals if they did not comply with his demands. In some cases, he required victims to engage in sex with him after forcing them into sex with as many as 18 men in a single night.
The trial also revealed that Session used extreme physical violence to intimidate and control his victims. He would punch them in the back of the head to avoid leaving visible marks, drag them to showers and beat them, choke them until they lost consciousness, and use a baseball bat to assault them. In one instance, Session held multiple victims’ heads underwater in a lake, threatening to drown them if they disobeyed.
Read: 12 Suspects, Including MS-13 And Mexican Mafia Members, Indicted In Florida For Drug Trafficking
Session also used a firearm to intimidate his victims, frequently brandishing the weapon and making threats. In one instance, after a victim questioned him about his treatment of her, he pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her. The victim managed to escape by jumping out of the car and fleeing into nearby woods, prompting Session to fire a shot into the air while calling her name.
Additionally, Session manipulated some victims’ substance abuse problems, supplying them with cocaine and methamphetamine to keep them engaged in commercial sex with multiple men at nearby trailers.
Read: Florida Marijuana Legalization Campaign Raises $100 Million, Fueled By Big Cannabis
“This verdict represents a significant step toward justice for the victims who endured horrific abuse at the hands of Shannima Yuantrell Session,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle human trafficking networks and bring offenders to justice.”
Session’s sentencing is scheduled for December 19, where he faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life, as well as mandatory restitution for the harm inflicted on his victims.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Android Users: Download our free app to stay up-to-date on the latest news.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.