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SAN BERNARDINO – A 34-year-old Hemet man was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for trafficking a 15-year-old girl in San Bernardino officials said. Jeremiah Banks, also known as “Penguin” became friends with the victim in August 2014, and invited her to his apartment to hang out. The teen agreed and was offered beer and marijuana by Banks, who was 30 years old at the time. Banks had sec with the teen in the bedroom of his home.

Banks eventually told the juvenile victim that he was a pimp and talked to her about prostituting for him. Days later he drove the teen to his sister’s San Bernardino apartment, where he gave her a cell phone to take provocative pictures of herself. The young victim did as Banks requested and he used the photos for prostitution advertisements that he posted on Backpage.com. The advertisement was located by San Bernardino Police officers

The victim testified that Banks taught her how to post ads, speak to customers, how much to charge and directed her to give all of the money made to him. “The victim testified that the defendant could quickly become violent,” said Ross. “He hit her with his fist and a belt whenever she ‘messed up a date.’ The violence occurred almost every other day.”

Jeremiah Banks was convicted in Dec. 2017 of one count of Human Trafficking of a Minor for a Sex Act by Force, one count of Pimping a Minor Under 16 Years of Age and one count of Pandering By Procuring a Minor Under Age 16.