MANCHESTER, N.H. — A New Hampshire man convicted of sex trafficking of a minor and other crimes has been sentenced to 21 years in prison, authorities said.

The U.S. attorney’s office in New Hampshire said Steven Tucker of Manchester was also ordered to pay $20,800 in restitution to the victims.

Tucker, 36, was convicted in March 2019 of sex trafficking of a minor, operating an interstate prostitution enterprise and maintaining a property for drug trafficking. An email seeking comment was sent to his attorney on Saturday.

Prosecutors say Tucker ran drug and prostitution operations in the Manchester area and exploited young women’s drug addictions to get them to work as prostitutes for his own profit.

Prosecutors say he would arrange prostitution “dates” for the women after fronting heroin to them. The women had to give him half the proceeds and buy heroin from him with the rest, authorities said.

Prosecutors say he would also withhold heroin from the women, causing them to experience withdrawal symptoms, and then would convince them to work as prostitutes in order to buy heroin from him.

“By exploiting and trafficking multiple victims, including a minor, this defendant committed egregious and reprehensible crimes,” Acting U.S. Attorney John Farley said in a statement.

“The substantial sentence imposed today finally holds Mr. Tucker responsible for his actions and sends a clear message to the community that this conduct will not be tolerated,” he said.

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