Salem man sentenced to 8 years for sex trafficking

SALEM, Va. – A Salem man will spend years in prison on sex trafficking charges. 

Shawn Paul Paisley, 48, was talking to an undercover Franklin County deputy who was posing as a 15-year-old girl. Paisley tried to entice the "girl" to engage in prostitution. 

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Paisley was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. 

In August 2016, while posing as a 15-year-old female, a Franklin County deputy responded to a Craigslist advertisement posted by Paisley seeking a “personal/casual” encounter.

Paisley gave the “girl” a cell phone number and the two exchanged text messages. During the course of their text message exchanges, Paisley told the “girl” that he ran an escort service and that his girls made good money. Paisley provided standard prices for the services the escorts offered and the two arranged to meet in order for the “girl” to perform oral sex on Paisley. 

Paisley left his home in Salem and drove to Franklin County to meet the “girl.” When he arrived, he was arrested. 

Paisley admitted that he helped run an escort service, which involved recruiting females to engage in sex for pay. He helped arrange for encounters between recruited female prostitutes and the customers and took a portion of the fees paid for making the arrangements. Paisley recalls that at least two females he previously helped recruit were 17 years old.Â