Mother, son found guilty in DeKalb County of pimping woman online

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston has announced the conviction of a mother and son from the Decatur area on charges of pimping a woman for sex. Vanessa Woods, 53, and her son, Allan Sanchez Woods, 30, were found guilty by a jury on Thursday. Additionally, Allan Woods faced additional charges of Armed Robbery and Aggravated Assault from an incident on April 25, 2022.

The case unfolded when officers from the DeKalb County Police Department responded to a domestic assault call in the 2000 block of Candler Road in unincorporated Decatur. The victim, then 28, reported that Allan Woods had assaulted her, punching her in the face, choking her, and slamming her to the ground. Attempting to call for help, the victim had her phone taken by Allan Woods, who punched her again.

Desperate for assistance, the victim flagged down a passerby and borrowed their phone. However, Allan Woods approached in a car, brandishing a gun, and forcibly took the phone from the good Samaritan. The victim revealed that she initially met Woods on a dating website, but he quickly became controlling. Allan Woods assumed the role of her pimp, with his mother, Vanessa Woods, responsible for advertising the victim's services on websites.

Over the course of a year, the victim engaged in sexual acts for money, surrendering the earnings to Allan Woods. She detailed a life of confinement, isolation from her family, food deprivation, and frequent confiscation of her phone. Vanessa Woods also played a role, driving the victim to locations for sex acts and sending text messages instructing her.

Both defendants admitted to posting the victim on sex websites during the investigation. Senior Judge David B. Irwin, presiding over the trial, promptly sentenced Allan Woods to 20 years, with 15 to be served in confinement and the remainder on probation. Vanessa Woods received a sentence of 12 months, with 180 days to be served in custody.

The case, handled by the Sexual Exploitation and Crimes Against Children Unit, saw prosecution led by Senior Assistant District Attorney Charles Ciba, with support from Senior ADA Elizabeth Tarver, DA Investigator Camella Mungroo-Patterson, and Victim Advocate Peggy Remy. DeKalb County Police Department Det. M.A. Williams led the initial investigation.