Federal Court Sentences Man for Sex Trafficking of Minor (18 U.S. Code 2423(a))

It is a well-known and unfortunate fact that Sacramento is one of the nation’s sex trafficking hotbeds. A man from Las Vegas, as a matter of fact, has recently been convicted by a federal court of sex trafficking in Sacramento for having transported a 16-year-old girl over at least 5 states lines for the purposes of using her in the sex trade. According to court documents, the 2 travelled through, not only California, but also Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona before local law enforcement officers in the town of Weed apprehended the man. The victim in the case has testified that she was given several different illegal drugs, including intravenous methamphetamine, and repeatedly sexually assaulted by her captor. Several different law enforcement agencies were involved in his eventual capture, including the FBI, the California Highway Patrol, and various local police departments.   He was sentenced to 17 and ½ years in a federal facility.

18 U.S. Code 2423 deals with the general crime of transportation of minors. More specifically, when a person transports a minor child over state lines in order to force them to engage in sexual activity, 18 U.S. Code 2423(a) applies. The law on this matter clearly states that anyone who purposefully brings a person under the age of 18 over state lines with the intent to make them engage in sexual activities (like prostitution, for example) is in violation of federal mandates. An individual who is convicted of having committed this crime may expect to spend no less than 10 years in federal prison. The maximum sentence in these cases is life in prison.