Woman pleads guilty to pimping teen girls in human trafficking operation

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A Forest Park woman has pleaded guilty to human trafficking and pimping charges in DeKalb County.

Virginia Anne Bates, 37, admitted to offering sex with a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old girl to “sex buyers” in exchange for money.

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The conviction follows an investigation by the Georgia Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit that started in 2021.

Law enforcement said Bates would rent a hotel room for the victims and the buyers. Bates assisted in taking photos of the victims and posting advertisements online, according to prosecutors.

Officers rescued the 16-year-old victim in March 2023. A year later, Bates was arrested on March 25 with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies.

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Bates was sentenced to 40 years, with the first 25 years to be served in prison and the remainder on strict probation.

She is also required to register as a sex offender.

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