Vancouver Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Two Minors

Johnl Jackson of Vancouver, Washington has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for trafficking two girls, ages 14 and 15, from Eugene, Oregon to his hometown where he forced them to have sex with his clients in exchange for drugs and money. 

Jackson’s two co-defendants, Keonte Desmond Scott and Diana Petrovic, have also been convicted for their involvement in the crime. Jackson had befriended Scott back in 2016 before coaching him in how to engage in commercial sex trafficking. Later that year, Jackson met and recruited Petrovic to traffic minors.

The young girls were initially taken by Scott and Petrovic in 2018 after meeting them at a mall in Eugene. The two of them told the girls that they would take them to an upscale club before driving them all the way to Vancouver. 

After five days, the girls were able to escape on separate occasions. The 14-year-old did as much as to convince a man at a barn party in Battle Ground, Washington to help her escape.

Jackson was arrested in 2019 and was convicted by a jury this past March of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking, sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in sexually activity. 

Scott has been sentenced to eight years and one month in federal prison, pleading guilty to two counts of sex trafficking. Petrovic has also pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances to persons under 21. Her sentencing will occur on the 3rd of April next year.