A Cincinnati man received a 40-year prison sentence on charges of sex trafficking minors and related offenses, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio. Kelly Richards, 43, also known by the nickname "Scorpio" and recognizable by a scorpion tattoo, faced a jury trial that concluded in April.
According to U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, "Richards drugged, raped, abused, photographed and sold two teenage girls. He held them for days in a one-bedroom apartment with multiple firearms he was forbidden to own, wantonly mistreating them for his own physical, sordid desires, financial gain, and the pleasure of others." Moreover, Parker indicated that Richards was previously convicted as a felon, adding to the gravity of his offenses.
The conviction arose after investigators received a tip in March 2023 that two juveniles were likely victims of sex trafficking. The subsequent investigation revealed that Richards picked up the teenagers after they had fled a group home in Dayton. At his Cincinnati apartment, the minors were given cocaine and sexually assaulted. The girls were then forced to have sex with men for money, funds that were paid to Richards, not to the victims themselves.
The victims experienced unrelenting exploitation, with the court documents detailing that one was prostituted up to four times per day, heightening the horror of the ordeal. Federal agents arrested Richards on May 16, 2023, leading to the trial where he faced justice. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Megan Gaffney Painter represented the government throughout the trial.
Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI's Cincinnati Division, alongside the FBI's Anti-Trafficking Task Force, worked closely to secure the conviction, illustrating the joint task force's commitment to eradicating such predatory crimes. While it cannot reverse the damage inflicted, this sentence marks a significant victory for victims' advocacy and the relentless pursuit of justice for those harmed by such egregious criminal activities.
