A Texas woman was convicted of child sex trafficking by a federal grand jury earlier this month for her role in coercing a child under the age of 18 to produce child pornography and to engage in commercial sex acts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI.
The Dallas woman was convicted on May 10 of transporting a child from Texas to New Mexico and Nevada with the intent to force them into prostitution. The incidents occurred between August and September 2018, according to evidence and court documents.
The six-day trial ended with convictions on seven separate counts: distribution of child pornography; sexual exploitation of children; conspiracy to sexually exploit children; transportation for prostitution or other criminal sexual activity; conspiracy to transport for prostitution or other criminal sexual activity; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; and sex trafficking.
The co-defendant in the case was the woman’s co-conspirator. He previously pleaded guilty to charges of transportation of a minor for purposes of prostitution and was sentenced to ten years and ten months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release.
The Texas woman is scheduled to be sentenced in a hearing on September 1, 2021. The penalties for these crimes are extreme. Sex trafficking, transporting to commit prostitution, and conspiracy for these crimes each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, with a statutory maximum of life in prison for each offense. The mandatory minimum for sexual exploitation of children and conspiracy to commit that crime is 15 years in prison with a statutory maximum of 30 years. The mandatory minimum for distribution of child pornography is five years in prison with a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Justice Department in 2006 that is tasked with fighting the growing problem of child sexual abuse and exploitation in America. Project Safe Childhood brings together federal, state, and local resources to assist in locating and prosecuting sex offenders who exploit children via the internet.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case with the help of the FBI. Christopher Burton and Bianca Pucci, lawyers for the U.S. Attorneys’ Office, are prosecuting the case.
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If you or anyone you know is facing charges related to sex crime, it’s vital to engage the help of an attorney immediately. Rosenthal Kalabus & Therrian has experience in defending Collin County residents from sex crime charges, and we can put that experience to work for you.
Sex crimes are vigorously prosecuted by state and federal agencies, so having a knowledgeable attorney to fight for your rights may be the only thing standing between you and a conviction. Don’t let a sex crime accusation determine your future, and don’t try to handle this on your own. Call Rosenthal Kalabus & Therrian at (972) 369-0577 today for a free, confidential consultation.