ANCHORAGE – A Lebanese national was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason to 13 years in prison for sex trafficking minors.
According to court documents, Nicola William Mongo, 23, of Anchorage sex trafficked at least two minors ages 14 and 17 who did not have housing or support in Anchorage.
Beginning in 2019, Mongo and several other individuals required the victims to go on “dates” where they would perform sex acts for money. They made the victims advertise on websites for online escort services and Mongo provided protection and transportation to and from the “dates” collecting some of the money they received. The 17-year-old victim, who had development disabilities, was so manipulated that she believed Mongo was her boyfriend and would do anything for him. If the victims did not want to go on “dates,” Mongo became angry and at times would hit them in the face. He was often armed with a firearm when transporting the victims and would provide them with condoms and lubricant when taking them to the “dates.”
Mongo pleaded guilty to the charge of sex trafficking minors in February 2021 after being indicted on the charge in June 2020. Tristan Grant and Davon Smith were also involved in sex trafficking these minors and were previously sentenced.
“Using minors in a sex trafficking operation requires a horrifying degree of selfishness and indifference toward vulnerable victims,” said U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. of the District of Alaska. “It is among the most depraved crimes on the books, and we and our law enforcement partners will do everything we can to bring offenders like Mr. Mongo to justice.”
“The defendant preyed upon vulnerable youth in Alaska, and cruelly trafficked them for his own profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “With a victim-centered approach, the FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify and hold human traffickers accountable.”
The FBI and the Anchorage Police Department investigated this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ebell prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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