May 19, 2015

Allentown man hit with additional sex trafficking charges

By Daniel Craig
PhillyVoice Staff

Corderro Cody has been charged with additional counts of sex trafficking by force and sex trafficking of a minor, along with related charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Cody, 27, was already indicted on sex trafficking charges in October 2014. That indictment alleged that he recruited women to work as prostitutes, keeping most of the money acquired in the trafficking.

Cody allegedly beat the women to continue working under what he referred to as the "program," at times having them drive to other states to perform sexual acts. He allegedly advertised the women on a website called Backpage.com.

A conviction would lead to a mandatory minimum prison sentence, in addition to a $2.5 million fine and a supervised release.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security and the Allentown Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sherri A. Stephan and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

Cody, along with 10 women, were originally arrested as a part of a sting operation carried out by federal, state, and local authorities in August 2012, according to Lehigh Valley Live. The women arrested in that sting ranged in ages at the time from 18 to 35 and were from areas including Allentown, Philadelphia and New York.