The government says Bronson Iseri was an inept, wannabe pimp who was trying to help two teenage girls continue working as prostitutes.

A federal judge agreed yesterday and sentenced Iseri, 23, to five years in prison—half the mandatory minimum penalty for trafficking a minor for sex.

Iseri has no criminal history, and since his arrest in 2008, he has assisted Honolulu police investigate other crimes, including making controlled drug buys, Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Butrick said.

Butrick said the two girls were 14 and 16 years old when they asked Iseri to be their pimp in 2007 because they wanted to get away from their previous pimps. Iseri did not know how to market the girls and did not make any money with the younger girl, Butrick said.

He also was beaten up by one of the girl's previous pimps, said Iseri's lawyer, Michael Green. It was the older girl who became Iseri's girlfriend and who later persuaded Iseri to advertise her services online on Craigslist, Green said.

Iseri pleaded guilty last December to trafficking his former girlfriend for sex. In exchange the government agreed to drop the sex trafficking charge involving the other girl.

Police arrested Iseri in June 2008 after the older girl reported Iseri beat her and forced her to have sex with him.

Iseri is scheduled to go to trial on abuse and sex assault charges in state court next month.