A California sommelier has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after he flew to Texas to torture a young human trafficking victim to get her to engage in sex work.
Ian Justin Ranney, 35, responded to an ad posted by a federal agent in Dallas posing as a human trafficker asking for an ‘experienced sadist’ who would be paid $6,000 to ‘break’ a young woman.
The San Mateo resident was arrested last November outside a North Texas warehouse with tools of torture such as restraints, rope and batons. He pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping and possession of child pornography in February.
Ranney planned to bind and waterboard a 21-year-old woman for four days, dousing her genitals with a chemical irritant and subjecting her to complete sensory deprivation.
A criminal complaint seen by DailyMail.com says Ranney told agents he specialized in ‘objectification and degradation,’ having ‘psychologically destroyed a few girls.’ He added he could ‘break any bi***.’
Ian Ranney, 35, responded to an ad posted by federal an agent posing as a human trafficker asking for an ‘experienced sadist’ who would be payed $6,000 to ‘break’ a young woman
He described himself as a ’35M, 6’4 Sadistic Dom’ who would ‘use you mercilessly, showing you a world of pain you never imagined’
He described himself as a ’35M, 6’4 Sadistic Dom’ who would ‘use you mercilessly, showing you a world of pain you never imagined.’
Ranney’s social media shows a luxuries lifestyle filled with travel and elegant dinners.
He posted images proudly showing off his Tesla, vaccine card and voting records on Facebook.
‘Wine is my passion. Great service is my specialty,’ he wrote on Instagram.
The agent who posted the ad claimed he needed someone to ‘train one of his girls that was no longer wanting to work for him.’
They stated they ran a human trafficking organization for a ‘high-end clientele’ and had bought the woman from another trafficker.
When the agent said he needed the victim to independently conduct sex work and bring him the profits, Ranney said this would be ‘trickier,’ but that he ‘loved a challenge.’
‘That sounds fun,’ he wrote.
Ranney and the agent agreed he would work to ‘break’ the woman in an isolated warehouse for four days at $1,500 per day.
Ranney and the agent agreed he would work to ‘break’ the woman in an isolated warehouse for four days at $1,500 per day
He wrote he would try to leave the woman ‘undamaged,’ adding ‘The worst she might get is like a broken bone or two.’
‘I specially use chemicals during a lot of my torture scene,’ he said. ‘One of my favorites is capsaicin.’
Ranney suggested someone recorded the victim being tortured with the chemical as ‘having someone else watch her in that torture is a good way to put them in their place.’
He planned to bring ‘blackout contacts’ for sensory depravation.
While Ranney engaged in consensual BDSM acts, prosecutors noted he was repeatedly told the ad was not about roleplaying or fantasy, and was reality.
Ranney’s social media shows a luxuries lifestyle filled with travel and elegant dinners
He advised upscale restaurants on their wine selections and appeared to last work for Taurus Steakhouse in San Carlos
Three other men who responded to similar ads and traveled to Texas have also been sentenced to prison.
The trained sommelier advised upscale restaurants on their wine selections and appeared to last work for Taurus Steakhouse in San Carlos.
Police also found a 14-year-old girl’s explicit photos on his phone.
During Tuesday’s sentencing, Ranney’s lawyer claimed he had a hard time ‘connecting’ to people, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
He said saying sorry for his actions ‘seems to fall short.’