BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for trafficking a 16-year-old girl from prison, according to the Kern County Superior Court website.

Shante Dowdell was convicted on July 19 of human trafficking of minors, pimping of minors and procuring of minors. Dowdell must register as a sex offender for life, a court official said.

Prosecutors said that between July 2021 and May 2022, while Dowell was in custody for robbery, he called the 16-year-old victim several times in prison and solicited prostitution in order to put money into his account.

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Dowell told the victim which websites to use to place sexual advertisements online, referred her to another subject so she could “learn the game,” told her what times to “go to the blade” (a neighborhood in Los Angeles with a high concentration of prostitution), and constantly asked her to put money on his books.

Prosecutors said Dowell asked the victim in a phone call from prison, “Who is stronger on the phone than pimps?”

Within four months, the victim deposited over $2,000 in Dowdell’s books.

According to court records, Dowdell will receive credit for three years and two months of his 24-year prison sentence.