A Columbus woman was sentenced this week for her role in a sex trafficking case in Alabama. A federal judge in Montgomery sentenced the woman, a second defendant in the case involving a commercial sex trafficking scheme with a minor.
On September 21, 2026, Chloe Michelle Alexander, 32, originally from Columbus, Georgia, received a sentence of 135 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Alexander is also required to register as a sex offender for life. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Thomas Govan and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ellen Johnson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and Alabama made the announcement.
“Children should never be targets for sexual exploitation, and those who facilitate or participate in that exploitation will face serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas Govan. “Our office remains committed to protecting vulnerable victims and pursuing justice against those who prey upon them. I commend the investigators and prosecutors whose dedication made this case possible.”
“Protecting children from sexual exploitation is one of the highest priorities for HSI,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ellen Johnson. “We will continue to dedicate our specialized resources, alongside our law enforcement partners, to stop these heinous crimes and provide a measure of justice for the victims.”
According to court documents, in late 2023, Alexander conspired with her co-defendant, Jada Renee Coggins, to induce a 17-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex acts. In her plea agreement, Alexander admitted that she photographed the victim for use in advertising the victim for commercial sex acts and transported the victim to locations where the victim was forced to engage in commercial sex acts with customers, including customers arranged by Alexander.
Coggins previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and was sentenced on June 10, 2026, to 135 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Coggins is also required to register as a sex offender for life.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Opelika Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara S. Ratz, J. Patrick Lamb, and Russell T. Duraski prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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