SEATTLE - A 29-year-old man who forced women in the Everett area into prostitution has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Jerome Todd was sentenced Monday in federal court in Seattle for his conviction in May on sex trafficking charges.

An assistant U.S. attorney said the Everett man used threats and violence to force women into sex slavery.

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge James Robart ordered Todd to pay more than $68,000 in restitution to three women.

The Everett Herald reported that Todd's lawyer, Suzanne Lee Elliott, argued the women should not be paid for their illegal activities. She said any money Todd makes in the future should help support his 13 children.