The final defendant in a South Carolina child sex-trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, completing the sentencing phase for four people who exploited three teenage girls in 2023.
U.S. District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Antonio Marquis Nicholson, 34, of West Columbia, to 300 months in prison followed by lifetime court supervision. Federal sentences do not include parole.
Exploitation of vulnerable teenagers
Evidence described by prosecutors showed that Nicholson and his co-defendants targeted 16- and 17-year-old girls. One was missing and had run away from another state; two attended Columbia-area high schools and had clear vulnerabilities.
The group enticed, harbored, transported, advertised and provided the girls for commercial sexual exploitation. Prosecutors said the defendants photographed the victims, supplied lingerie, posted advertisements on commercial-sex websites and confiscated the proceeds. The teenagers were subjected to physical violence and sex with adult buyers while being exposed to drugs, guns and violent customers. They lacked reliable access to food, medical care and other necessities.
Nicholson’s conviction for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children is established. The victims are not identified here.
Other sentences and investigation
Three co-defendants were sentenced earlier: Terrell Counts received 135 months, Rebecca Melanie Perry 150 months and Monesha Tatayana Lapri Gary 165 months.
Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Columbia Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Ariyana N. Gore prosecuted the case.
Why the case matters
The facts illustrate how traffickers deliberately select children whose housing, family or school circumstances leave them vulnerable. They also show the importance of rapid information sharing when a runaway child crosses state lines and appears in online commercial-sex advertising.
The Justice Department’s announcement does not describe restitution, the defense’s sentencing request or the services now available to the survivors. It also does not say whether related investigations into adult buyers remain open. Those questions remain unresolved.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, September 8, 2026.
