“To be an adult and to allow these things to happen to an individual … it's immoral, it's unethical,” said Chief Circuit Judge Michael A. Weipert who imposed the sentence.

Two residents involved in what police called the “worst case” of human trafficking in Monroe County recently were sentenced for the crimes involving a minor.

Co-defendants Tori Brothers-Helton and Anthony J. Miller of Dundee had pleaded no contest for their roles in the prostitution of a 16-year-old girl by way of social media sites. They returned to Monroe County 38th Circuit Court Thursday morning for sentencing.

Brothers-Helton, 29, of Monroe, who was identified by prosecutors as the primary leader of the prostitution operation, was sentenced to 35 to 240 months in prison for the charge of human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity.

She will have to register as a sex offender because the crime involved a minor, according to Michigan Law.

Additional charges of human trafficking enterprise resulting in commercial sexual activity, child sexually abusive activity and an additional charge of trafficking a minor were dismissed as part of a sentencing agreement with the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office.

“To be an adult and to allow these things to happen to an individual … it’s immoral, it’s unethical,” said Chief Circuit Judge Michael A. Weipert who imposed the sentence. “It’s enough to make someone want to vomit.”

Miller, 23, of Dundee was sentenced to a lesser charge at 365 days in county jail — including participation in a sex offender treatment program — and five years of probation for the charge of human trafficking enterprise resulting in commercial sexual activity. The judge deemed Miller’s involvement lessthan that of Brothers-Helton.

With good behavior and recommendation from the probation department, Weipert said he’d also consider an earlier release. Miller will not have to register as a sex offender.

Additional charges of human trafficking of a minor for forced labor and two counts of child sexually abusive activity were dismissed as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

The 16-year old victim in the case was present throughout both sentencings, providing an impact statement read by a victim advocate during Brothers-Helton’s sentencing and saying a few words during Miller’s hearing.

She asserted that she voluntarily participated in the prostitution-related activities and said she was not forced by the co-defendants.

“I didn’t see a problem with my or any of our actions until all was said and done,” she wrote in the statement to the court. “Neither one of them forced me to do this, but looking back, I do wish that someone would have stopped me.

“I’m not trying to say they did nothing wrong, but we all make mistakes,” she added.

Despite the victim’s account of the chain of events, Weipert asserted that she did not have the ability to consent to the activities.

He added that as adults, the co-defendants had a responsibility to stop her from engaging in the activities and to seek help.

“This is one of the most deplorable, despicable cases I have come across,” Weipert said in court. “I’m still troubled that I have two adults who allowed this to go on.”

Charges in this case stemmed from an investigation by detectives from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in October. Police were alerted of a possible human trafficking situation by a citizen caller.

Detectives then conducted a search warrant in the 600 block of Patterson Dr. in Monroe Township, where the defendants, victim and several other people reportedly were living, according to reports.

During the search, reports said detectives recovered several pieces of electronic evidence that corroborated statements from the victim.

Police said the victim had recently moved from Georgia to southeast Michigan due to family trouble. She reportedly lived in Toledo with a sister for a short time before moving into the house with the defendants.

Miller began dating the victim, despite their six-year age difference, shortly after she moved in, according to court testimony. The roommates reportedly began having financial troubles, and Brothers-Helton suggested the two engage in sexual acts for money.

The defendants would drive the victim to clients, where Miller said in a police report that she would earn up to $600 per meeting “on a good day.” Explicit photographs of the victim also were sold for $20 to $200.

Police said the defendants transported the victim across southeastern Michigan and northwest Ohio. Because the case crossed state lines, the FBI also assisted in the investigation.

Several social media sites and applications reportedly were used to facilitate the prostitution, such as Whisper, an app which allows users to anonymously post and share photo or video messages.

“My actions were awful,” Miller said in court. “This experience has taught me a lot, and in a way, I’m happy this happened to me because without it, I would have kept going down the wrong road.”

Brothers-Helton was remanded to the Michigan Department of Corrections. She’ll receive credit for 184 days served.

Miller was taken to county jail and will be given credit for 79 days served.

The two will split a restitution fee of $1,200.

“Human trafficking is real, it’s real here in Monroe County, it’s real here in the state of Michigan,” Weipert said. “I need to send a message in this community that this will not be tolerated.”