A man who forced three women to sell themselves into prostitution has been sentenced to 17-to-21 years in state prison, followed by five years probation after he was found guilty on eight counts of sex trafficking.
John Spencer was found guilty of a string of prostitution-related crimes. The 43-year-old Rochester man, also known as “Smurf,” preyed on women who were applying for social services. He convinced them they needed his support for food and shelter, and he supplied them with narcotics while trafficking them as prostitutes. He was arrested last August.
Prosecutors call Spencer “among the most dangerous types of predators,” who sought out, groomed and brainwashed vulnerable young women and exploited their addictions.