A California sommelier has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after flying to Texas to torture a young victim of human trafficking to trick her into engaging 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 up” a young woman.
The San Mateo resident was arrested last November outside a North Texas warehouse with torture tools such as leg irons, ropes and batons. He pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping and possession of child pornography in February.
Ranney planned to bind and water a 21-year-old woman for four days, spraying her genitals with an irritating chemical and subjecting her to complete sensory deprivation.
A criminal complaint seen by DailyMail.com says Ranney told officers he specializes in ‘objectification and degradation’, having ‘psychologically destroyed a few girls’. He added that he could “smash any bitch”.
Ian Ranney, 35, responded to an ad posted by a federal agent posing as a human trafficker asking for an ‘experienced sadist’ who would be paid $6,000 to ‘break up’ a young woman.
He described himself as a “35-month-old, 6’4 sadistic Dom” who would “use you mercilessly, showing you a world of pain you never imagined”.
He described himself as a “35-month-old, 6’4 sadistic Dom” who would “use you mercilessly, showing you a world of pain you never imagined”.
Ranney’s social media shows a luxurious lifestyle filled with traveling and elegant dining.
He posted images on Facebook proudly showing off his Tesla, his vaccine card and his voting records.
“Wine is my passion. Great service is my specialty,” he wrote on Instagram.
The agent who posted the ad claimed they needed someone to “train one of his daughters who no longer wanted to work for him.”
They said they ran a human trafficking organization for “upscale clientele” and had bought the woman from another trafficker.
When the officer said they needed the victim to do sex work independently and earn a profit, Ranney said it would be “trickier”, but he “loves the challenge”.
Ranney and the agent agreed that he would work to “break” the woman into an isolated warehouse for four days, at $1,500 a day.
“Sounds fun,” he wrote.
Ranney and the agent agreed that he would work to “break” the woman into an isolated warehouse for four days at $1,500 a day.
He wrote that he would try to leave the woman ‘unscathed’, adding ‘The worst she can have is like a broken bone or two’.
“I specifically use chemicals in many torture scenes,” he said. “One of my favorites is capsaicin.”
Ranney suggested that someone taped the victim being tortured with the chemical, saying “having someone else watch them during this torture is a good way to put them in their place.”
He planned to bring in “blinding contacts” for sensory depravity.
As Ranney engaged in consensual BDSM acts, prosecutors noted that he was repeatedly told that the ad was not about role-playing or fantasy, but about reality.
Police also found explicit photos of a 14-year-old girl on his phone that he admitted to receiving via Snapchat.
Ranney’s social media shows a luxurious lifestyle filled with traveling and elegant dining
He has advised high-end restaurants on their wine selections and appears to have worked for the Taurus Steakhouse in San Carlos.
Three other men who responded to similar ads and traveled to Texas were also sentenced to prison.
The trained sommelier advised high-end restaurants on their wine selections and appeared to have worked for the Taurus Steakhouse in San Carlos.
At Tuesday’s sentencing, Ranney’s attorney claimed he had trouble “connecting” with people, as reported by the Dallas Morning News.
He said he apologized for his actions “seems to fail”.
Judge Terry Means ruled that due to Ranney’s IQ, he would recommend a prison with “mental challenges” so the sadist would not be “locked up”.
