Lexington man found guilty in ‘violent’ sex and drug trafficking operation
A Lexington man has been found guilty of multiple charges related to a sex and drug trafficking operation that exploited women’s drug addictions to force them into sex work.
Prince Bixler, 41, was found guilty of four counts of sex trafficking, two counts of witness tampering, one count of operating an unlawful prostitution enterprise, six counts of drug distribution and three counts of possessing a firearm as a felon, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Bixler was found guilty after a seven-day trial and nearly seven hours of jury deliberations, according to the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Bixler would coerce young women with drug addictions and no place to stay, prosecutors wrote in a court notice. He would give them drugs and hotel rooms to stay in, but only if they engaged in sex work and gave him a portion of the profit.
If the young women did not do what he said, he would threaten violence or become violent, according to court records. Bixler would push, kick, slap and punch women when they didn’t follow his rules, and as a result, they feared him, prosecutors wrote.
“This defendant used violence and threats of violence to create a climate of fear to trap these young women, while at the same time increasing their dependence on him by feeding them with illegal drugs to take advantage of their addictions to crack cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine,” Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband said in an announcement of the conviction.
Four victims in the case testified at Bixler’s trial.
“Human trafficking is a violent crime with victims whose fear of reprisal often keeps them from getting help,” said Shawn Morrow, special agent in charge of the ATF’s Louisville Division. “What began as a drug and firearms investigation saved these victims from further exploitation and shut down a dangerous supplier of drugs in the Lexington area.”
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Louisville office, the ATF’s Louisville division and the Lexington Police Department.
Bixler is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 29, according to court records.
Bixler faces 15 years to life in prison, according to the U.S. attorney.
This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 3:28 PM.
