A Michigan man has been sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted on multiple federal charges that included kidnapping, coercion and enticemnt, and production of child pornography.
Arisknight Winfree, 32, pleaded no content to five counts against him in April, according the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.
Winfree was arrested in January 2023 after he lured an 18-year-old Italian woman to Michigan in October 2022 under the pretext of being an au pair for his niece, as CrimeOnline reported. Instead he raped her for hours then put her back on a plane to return to Italy.
The US Attorney’s Office said Winfree was charged with exploiting four women in total, two of them minors, before his arrest.
“Arisknight Winfree is a sexual predator whose horrendous acts caused immeasurable harm to the women and girls upon whom he preyed,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “This life sentence is necessary to protect the community and bring a measure of justice to the survivors.”
Winfree contacted the Italian woman through AuPair.com and brought her to the United States. the day after her arrival, Windfree handcuffed her, put a ball gag in her mouth, and raped her repeatedly. He even considered killing her to avoid the possibility of prosecution.
A second coercion and enticement charge involved a woman from Kansas he connected with through AuPair.com in September 2022. Her family requested a welfare check by police, who helped her gather her belongings and flee back to Kansas.
The two counts of child pornography involve 16- and 17-year-old victims. He contacted the older girl via Instagram in late November 2022 and the younger girl via SnapChat in October 2022.
“The East Lansing Police Department would like to thank the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for their commitment to this case,” said ELPD Police Chief Chad Pride. “Arisknight Winfree’s conviction on multiple charges shows our collaborative partnerships were essential in bringing justice to the survivors of these awful acts and holding Arisknight accountable for his actions.”
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[Featured image: Arisknight Winfree/FBI]
