District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez on Thursday sentenced a St. Thomas man and woman – the mother of the victim – for transporting a minor girl for sex, U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.
According to Sharpe, Jenifer Bowen-Dodoo, 51, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and Lennox Phillips, 58, received a 130-month sentence.
Gomez also sentenced Bowen-Dodoo to 10 years of supervised release following her prison term and 400 hours of community service, and ordered her to pay a special assessment of $100.
Gomez then ordered Phillips to serve 10 years of supervised release following his release from prison and 500 hours of community service, and to pay a fine of $15,000 and a special assessment of $100.
Phillips and Bowen-Dodoo, both of St. Thomas, pleaded guilty to transporting a minor for sex.
According to court records, Phillips transported Bowen-Dodoo’s 13-year-old daughter in his taxi van for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. Bowen-Dodoo allowed her daughter to have sex with Phillips, and Phillips paid Dodoo so he could continue to have sex with the victim.
Phillips’ and Bowen-Dodoo’s criminal conduct was discovered when an employee at the victim’s school observed Phillips driving the victim away from the school when she should have been in class, court records show.
Sharpe said suspected child exploitation or missing children cases can be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via its toll-free 24–hour hotline at 202-514-5678, or to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations at 340-693-2250.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Virgin Islands Police Department, and the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Everard E. Potter.
