Seaside man sentenced to over 30 years for sex trafficking two teen girls.

Convicted sex trafficker Jerry Stringer had one job to do at his Feb. 8 sentencing in Monterey Superior Court: say he's sorry.

And while he did start his statement to Judge Julie Culver with the words "I want to apologize for my actions," within minutes he erased those words by taking no responsibility for injuring his victims.

Stringer was convicted on June 12, 2017, for picking up two 17-year-old-girls from Sacramento in June, 2015, driving them to Salinas—a city they had never been to before and in which they knew no one—telling them to prostitute themselves and give him the money.

It's believed to be the first successful prosecution of sex trafficking of minors in Monterey County, according to District Attorney Dean D. Flippo.

Stringer also took pornographic photos of the girls in his mother's home in Seaside, advertised them on a prostitution website, and put them up in a motel where they had sex with men who contacted them through the site.

Frightened and ashamed at first, they got the courage to escape three days later.

As Culver began sentencing Stringer, who is 29 years old, to 30 years and eight months in prison, he became visibly agitated, uttering, "This is bullshit." 

His nine charges, including sex trafficking of minors, possessing pornographic images and others related to the incident, totaled a sentence of 15 years, four months in prison, but under the "three strikes" law a prior conviction made him eligible for a doubling of his sentence.

Stringer later was heard telling his attorney, public defender Jared A. Jefferson, that murderers don't get that much time in jail.

In his statement, Stringer said the "DA"—referring to McCleaf who prosecuted his case last year—and the media had portrayed him as a "monster."

"I may be guilty of a lot, but I'm not guilty of being a monster," he said. "I wouldn't never intentionally hurt someone." 

He mentioned he had two children, a girl and a boy.

"How old is your little girl?" Culver asked. Stringer said she's 11.

She asked him how he would like it if someone did to her what he did to his victims six years from now, and Stringer answered he wouldn't like it.

"I don't see how you as a father of a young girl could have done what you did," Culver replied. 

"I'm imposing this sentence because you need to be taken out of the community for a significant amount to time, so people in society can walk free knowing you are not taking advantage of vulnerable people," she said.

Culver attempted to impress upon Springer that he had hurt his "vulnerable" victims, referring to a letter she received from one of the girls who told the judge her life was changed forever.

When Culver mentioned that the crime was reported after one of the girls went to Planned Parenthood out of fear she had contracted a disease, Stringer became more upset, saying, "That has nothing to do with me."

Last month Jefferson filed a motion asking for a new trial, claiming that Stringer received insufficient representation by his former attorney, Katera Rutdedge.

Culver denied the motion during the Feb. 8 hearing, explaining that from what she witnessed, Rutledge had represented him in a professional manner.

Jefferson also filed a motion to strike a former conviction for robbery, that landed Stringer in prison for four years, four months nine years ago. 

Culver refused, because Stringer had assaulted and robbed an unarmed man, he also entered into someone's home and assaulted them.

"These types of crimes are strikes for a reason," she said. "It shows he's capable of violence. These are not just property crimes, he's up close and personal with his victims." 

As it turns out, Stringer was due back in court later the same day on a charge of misdemeanor battery.

Court records state that on Feb. 3 he unlawfully used force and violence against another inmate in Monterey County Jail.