FORT SMITH (KFSM) — A Fort Smith man was sentenced Tuesday (Sept. 26) to over three years for sex trafficking and a Pocola man was sentenced to over three years for using a facility of interstate commerce in aid of prostitution.
Shawn Casey Jobe, 44, of Fort Smith was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison on one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. His sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release.
Edwin Jay Hesslen, 33, of Pocola was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, on one count of use of a facility of interstate commerce in the aid of prostitution.
According to court documents, Fort Smith police and the FBI were conducting an undercover sex trafficking investigation on June 20, 2014. The investigation was targeting individuals utilizing the internet to advertise prostitution. Law enforcement found two ads for two different women and an undercover detective negotiated a “date” with the two women for $200. The two women were arrested when they arrived to meet with the detective at a Fort Smith hotel. According to court documents, the two women said they worked for Jobe.
One of the woman cooperated with detectives and placed a call to Jobe. She stated that the client they were meeting with was refusing to pay. Jobe arrived at the hotel and was taken into custody.
During the search of Jobe’s phone, law enforcement found conversations between Jobe and Hesslen. Hesslen had sent Jobe the photographs of the two women that were used in advertisements.
Jobe and Hesslen both pleaded guilty in April 2017.
