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MINNEAPOLIS (WJON News) -- A St. Paul woman has pleaded guilty to her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy after recruiting six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts.

According to court documents, from May 2020 through December 2020, 20-year-old Gisela Medina conspired with co-defendant 32-year-old Anton Lazzaro to recruit and solicit six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts.

According to court documents, in May 2020, Castro Medina met Lazzaro through the Seeking Arrangements website, which is known as a “sugar daddy” website. Lazzaro began communicating with Castro Medina and a minor victim and invited them to his condo at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis. Before arriving at the Hotel Ivy, Castro Medina told Lazzaro that the minor victim was only 16 years old. Lazzaro provided Castro Medina and the minor victim with alcohol and paid them $600 for commercial sex acts with him. Lazzaro continued to engage in commercial sexual activity with the minor victim and, on each occasion, Lazzaro paid her in the form of an envelope of cash. Castro Medina took half of each cash payment.

Castro Medina used social media and her school, friend, and community networks to identify other minor girls for Lazzaro. Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and if Lazzaro “approved” Castro Medina would reach out to the minor and provide the minor’s contact information to Lazzaro.

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For her role of identifying, recruiting, and introducing minors, Lazzaro compensated Castro Medina with cash and Venmo payments, as well as rent and utility payments for her apartment, tuition payments to the University of St. Thomas, car payments, travel expenses, and other items.

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