A 73-year-old Wilmington man will spend more than a decade in federal prison for sex trafficking a minor, exploited vulnerable women, and produced child sexual abuse material as part of a long-running sex operation.
WILMINGTON, N.C. — A longtime predator who used the internet, drugs, and intimidation to exploit vulnerable women — including a child — has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison.
Federal court records confirm Jesse Lonzo Teal, 73, was sentenced to 13.5 years behind bars after pleading guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, along with producing child sexual abuse material.
COURT: TEAL PREYED ON ADDICTION, VULNERABILITY, AND A CHILD
According to evidence presented in court, Teal used online platforms to recruit women and a minor girl, bringing them to his Wilmington residence under the guise of work. Prosecutors say he deliberately targeted women battling substance abuse, emotional instability, and in at least one case, limited intellectual functioning.
Once inside his control, Teal allegedly supplied victims with drugs and alcohol to weaken their resistance, then subjected them to verbal abuse, manipulation, and degradation. Authorities say he secretly recorded hundreds of sexually explicit images and videos, sometimes without the victims’ consent or even awareness.
The most serious charges stem from Teal’s exploitation of a minor. Court documents state he paid the child for sex, discussed selling her body for commercial sex, involved other adults, and produced explicit images of her — acts federal law classifies as child sexual abuse material.
LINKED TO CAPE FEAR ESCORTS TRAFFICKING OPERATION
Teal’s conviction was part of a sweeping federal investigation into Cape Fear Escorts, an operation authorities say functioned as a front for prostitution and human trafficking in southeastern North Carolina for over a decade.
Last year, the group’s owner, Christopher Todd Evans, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $200,630.18 in restitution to victims.
U.S. ATTORNEY: “WE WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS”
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle delivered a blunt warning in a press release:
“This will not stand. We will not tolerate disgusting creeps who take advantage of our young girls and vulnerable women. This dirty old man can think about his terrible choices in a federal prison until his mid 80s.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
The sentence was handed down by Richard E. Myers II, Chief U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel.
