The judge sentencing Stephanie Gease yesterday recognized that all the defendant did, technically, was put a 16-year-old on a bus to California.

The problem was that the girl was a runaway, and the bus took her to a life of abuse and forced prostitution.

"It's clear she did not intend to cause these consequences," said Public Defender Michael J. Novara, calling his client the "least culpable person involved."

He asked U.S. District Judge Terrence F. McVerry to sentence his client to probation, saying that justice would not be served by a period of incarceration.

Judge McVerry disagreed, and sentenced Ms. Gease to four months in a halfway house, to be followed by four months' home confinement.

"Although your attorney has made an eloquent and moving plea on your behalf, I cannot overlook your actual conduct in October 2004 and the horrendous consequences," Judge McVerry said. "You could have prevented the trauma [the victim] endured, and from which she may likely never recover."

The girl was the victim of Michael Simmons of the North Side. He was Ms. Gease's nephew and paid his aunt to buy the girl the bus ticket to join him in Los Angeles.

Judge McVerry noted that Ms. Gease knew at the time the girl was a runaway and "sent her off to an unspeakable fate" instead of calling her family.

Mr. Simmons pleaded guilty to transporting the girl across state lines and selling her into prostitution. He is serving a 17-year prison sentence.

Another woman in the case -- who was both a victim and a defendant -- pleaded guilty in March.

DeShonqua Strait worked for Mr. Simmons, but she also was tasked with keeping the other prostitutes in line. Ms. Strait pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and was ordered to spend 12 months in prison.

Ms. Gease could have received 27 months in prison under the advisory guidelines range, but prosecutors moved for a downward departure because she cooperated.

The judge granted that motion. Though he first ordered Ms. Gease to serve eight months in prison, he later altered the sentence, splitting the time between a halfway house and home confinement.