A woman from Columbia, South Carolina, known as “Lady Tank”, who pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking charges was sentenced to prison this week, according to US acting prosecutor, M. Rhett DeHart.
India Tykeyah-Najee Cuyler, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sex trafficking minors and to benefit from sex trafficking minors. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
In the sentence, Cuyler also received an obstruction of reinforcement of justice for making calls while in prison in an attempt to retaliate the victims in this case.
Cuyler co-conspired with Donnell “Tank” Salethian Woodard to underage sex traffickers. Woodard was sentenced last month to 25 years in prison.
In November 2017, undercover cops from the Lexington Police Department found a minor online who was advertising sex, according to evidence presented in court. Police officers set up a meeting with the teenager at a local motel.
At the motel, officers watched Woodard and “Lady Tank” leave a 16-year-old fugitive, according to evidence in court.
The officers arrested Woodard and Cuyler at the motel scene.
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After the arrests, police officers found another minor in a different motel that was also involved in the illegal sexual operation, according to the press release from the United States Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Police found that Woodard and Cuyler were posting ads online via Craigslist and Backpage.com to sell minors to have sex and receive a share of the proceeds, according to court documents.
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Backpage.com was the main source of child sex trafficking online before federal authorities took control of the site in 2018.
In court this week, US District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs ordered Cuyler to pay restitution to the victims.
After Cuyler serves her 188-month sentence, she will be under supervised release for 15 years and will have to register as a sex offender.
“The cruelty of sex trafficking is difficult to understand and must be severely punished,” said DeHart. “This sentence closes the door on the horrible crimes committed by these defendants and demonstrates our commitment to preventing sex trafficking in South Carolina.”
The FBI, the Lexington Police Department and the West Columbia Police Department investigated the case.
United States Deputy Prosecutor Stacey D. Haynes sued the case, which is part of the Bairro Seguro Project, an initiative that targets those who exploit and abuse children on the internet.
In recent years, law enforcement officials have targeted more human trafficking crimes.
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In 2020, there were 139 reported cases of human trafficking in South Carolina.
“Human trafficking is a horrible plague in this state,” said South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson earlier this year. “Each year, we are becoming better at identifying and dealing with this heinous crime … With your help, we will bring more and more human traffickers to justice.”
To report a case of human trafficking, call 1-888-373-7888 or send a text message to 233733 (BeFree).
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