A teenage human trafficking victim who was ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to the family of the man who she says raped her is appealing the judge’s decision.
Pieper Lewis, 17, was ordered by an Iowa judge to pay restitution after she pleaded guilty to stabbing Zachary Brooks, 37, multiple times.
KCRG reported that Lewis’s lawyers are arguing the order to pay “restitution for Brooks’ family is an ‘illegal sentence.'”
The defense team is arguing this because Brooks was identified as being responsible for human trafficking Lewis for sex.
Those who are convicted of homicide in Iowa, no matter the degree of charge, are ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution, according to the Des Moines Register.
As Breitbart News previously reported, Lewis admitted to killing Brooks after an unidentified 28-year-old man abducted her to have sex with other men.
Prior to her abduction, Lewis had run away from an abusive home situation.
Lewis admitted to stabbing Brooks — while he was sleeping — out of rage after he sexually assaulted her.
In addition to her fine, Lewis was sentenced to five years of closely supervised probation and ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service each year for the next three years. She was also ordered to be placed in a Women’s center in Des Moines, where she will be required to wear a GPS tracking device.
Lewis’s prison sentence could have been 20 years due to her pleading guilty to the charges brought against her, but the judge deferred her sentence in favor of probation. However, if she violates her probation, she may have to serve her 20-year sentence.
A GoFundMe campaign organized to help Lewis pay the restitution has exceeded $560,000 in funds raised.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.