Philly man faces charges of sex-trafficking by force

A Philadelphia man with a long record of arrests - but few convictions - was charged today with three counts of sex trafficking by force. One of his victims, authorities said, was a minor under the age of 18.

Jerel Jackson, 28, allegedly operated a prostitution venture between May 2012 and July 2013 primarily out of motels in Philadelphia, including the Roosevelt Inn and the Days Inn on Roosevelt Boulevard.

Jackson, aka "Jinx," allegedly recruited young women to work for him. In one case, according to court papers, after two weeks of dating a woman he announced to her he was a pimp and that their relationship was changing. "You my bitch, you gonna have to work for me," he told her. When she threated to leave, Jackson let her know he was carrying a gun, court filings allege.

Jackson posted ads featuring the women posing nude or in lingerie on the website Backpage.com. Jackson collected the money after every "date," in some cases choking and strip-searching at least one of the women to ensure she wasn't keeping any cash from him, according to an FBI affadavit.

One of the women working for him was under 18. She told federal agents that in April 2013, Jackson drove her and three others to Dover, Del., where they worked out of a room at the Sleep Inn and Suites on N. Dupont Highway until their operation was shut down by local police, according to the affadavit.

Jackson, who faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a $750,000 fine if convicted on the sex trafficking counts, has a rap sheet that reaches back to 2004. He has previously served prison time for theft, firearms violations and drug counts. His record also includes multiple arrests for assault, robbery and burglary — charges that were either dismissed or withdrawn by the courts.