The Supreme Judicial Court today upheld the conviction of a Chelsea man for human trafficking, deriving support from prostitution, rape, and two counts of assault and battery, all involving his former girlfriend, whom he'd convinced to prostitute herself and whom prosecutors say he then raped, beat and threatened to kill when he became convinced she was withholding some of her earnings.

Attorneys for Kenya Dabney had argued he deserved at least a new trial because the judge wouldn't let them ask prospective jurors if they thought an innocent man should have to testify during a trial - essentially rephrasing a Fifth Amendment question the judge was asking prospective jurors - ordered portions of some documents redacted so that they couldn't use them to try to impeach the victim's testimony and did not adequately inform the jury about the meaning of a conviction for human trafficking.

The state's highest court, however, said nothing the judge did deprived Dabney, who was not working while his girlfriend was walking the streets or responding to Backpage ads, of a fair trial and that his sentence of 10 to 14 years in prison, followed by five years of probation was fair.

In its ruling, the court recounted what led up to Dabney grabbing the victim by her genitals, trying to stab her with a switchblade - which he couldn't because the blade broke - and putting out a cigarette on her face: