Courtroom gavel

Victor Eugene Booth II will serve 24 to 48 months in prison, Judge Ryan Tira ruled Tuesday morning after Booth pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal intent to traffic individuals during a Dec. 29 hearing.

Booth, 41, formerly of the 600 block of First Ave., was initially charged with eight counts of trafficking in individuals, four counts of prostitution and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child for “grooming” two female minors to perform sexual favors for Allen Arthur Frazier, 39, of Williamsport, in exchange for drugs or cash.

The girls were told, “Frazier just wants to kiss you,” and that “everyone in the house would be paid,” with the price being $20, according to an affidavit.

Booth and Jennifer Gibbs, 36, also of Williamsport, “attempted to encourage and induce the two minors to engage in sexual servitude on an agreed upon price with Frazier,” authorities said.

Booth received crack cocaine or cash in return for the solicitation of the minors, prosecutors said.

Frazier admitted to providing crack cocaine to Gibbs and Booth, but denied soliciting the girls even though he knew Gibbs was “attempting to traffic them,” the affidavit stated.

Asked by Tira why Booth was receiving a sentence below the standard mitigated range, defense attorney Matthew Diemer explained that the plea deal was agreed to by all parties due to Booth’s decision, on the day of his preliminary hearing, to reach a deal in order to spare the victim’s from having to testify.

Subjecting the minor victims to testifying at multiple proceedings would be “re-traumatizing and possibly having long-lasting effects on them,” Diemer said, explaining that Booth did not wish to hurt them further.

Booth also had a “less than ideal childhood,” Diemer told the judge, adding that Booth had a “decades long battle with substance abuse and addiction that culminated in an overdose about a year ago.”

Booth has also recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and it was “not a far jump to conclude that he has gone a long time undiagnosed and untreated for the disorder,” Diemer said.

Additionally, Booth is willing to be a witness for the prosecution’s case against Frazier, Diemer informed the judge.

“I struggle with accepting this plea deal with a sentence below the mitigated range, especially given that the defendant has not accepted responsibility for his actions on the record,” Tira said, before ultimately sentencing Booth in accordance with the terms of the deal.

“I don’t believe this deal will automatically result in the minimum sentence being served. That will be determined by the defendant’s performance during his incarceration,” he added.

In addition to his prison sentence, Booth will be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years.

Gibbs was sentenced to two to five years in county prison in February 2023 after pleading guilty to two counts of trafficking individuals.

A trial for Frazier was scheduled to begin last week, before being continued at the last minute. A new date has not yet been set.