Paroled felon sentenced after transporting runaway teen

A convicted felon, who was on parole when he took a teenage girl across state lines for the purpose of prostitution, was sentenced this week to more than 17 years in prison, officials said Thursday.

Rickey Goodwin, 43, of Hamilton, pleaded guilty in August to a charge of transportation of a minor.

Goodwin posted on Facebook in 2014 that he was heading to Birmingham, Ala., “to pick up a lil care package.”

The 16-year-old girl ran away to Florida from her Alabama home with Goodwin, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office.

Officers in Columbus received a tip in October 2014 that the girl was engaged in prostitution in the area. Investigators found the runaway’s picture in ads on Backpage.com and traced the number to Goodwin’s cellphone.

About the Author

Ellen Eldridge

Atlanta’s Joe Beasley, international civil and human rights advocate, dies

Joe Beasley who was just two weeks shy of his 89th birthday, according to his family, was "a moral force in Atlanta."

Warnock urges ‘a common humanity’ in wake of shootings

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., appears on "Meet The Press" on Sunday, sharing his thoughts on the fatal shootings in the news, health care costs and the 2026 elections.