Sixteen Juveniles Recovered in Joint Super Bowl Operation Targeting Underage Prostitution

The FBI, in partnership with more than 50 law enforcement agencies in four states, recovered 16 juveniles during an enforcement action focused on commercial child sex trafficking. Additionally, more than 45 pimps and their associates were arrested, some of whom claimed to have traveled to New Jersey from other states specifically for the purpose of prostituting women and children at the Super Bowl. Enforcement operations in New Jersey recovered six juveniles.
“High-profile special events, which draw large crowds, have become lucrative opportunities for child prostitution criminal enterprises,” said Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners remain committed to stopping this cycle of victimization and putting those who try to profit from this type of criminal activity behind bars.”
The minors recovered during the Super Bowl operations ranged in ages from 13 to 17 years old and included high school students and children who had been reported missing by their families.
Additionally, enforcement actions resulted in the recovery of international human trafficking victims.
Over the course of the operation, the FBI’s victim specialists provided 70 women and children services such as food, clothing, and referrals to health care facilities, shelters, and other programs.
Today’s announcement comes after more than six months of localized FBI-led law enforcement preparation. Working with a variety of federal, state, and local partners, the FBI has provided training on how to identify and address child exploitation.
“Through partnerships, enhanced as a result of this operation, we hope to build a lasting framework that helps the community address this problem,” said Michael Harpster, chief of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section. “It’s easy to focus on this issue in light of a high-profile event, but the sad reality is, this is a problem we see every day in communities across the country.”
The FBI’s Super Bowl operation efforts are part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative that was established in 2003 by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, in partnership with the Department of Justice and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, to address the growing problem of child prostitution.
To date, the FBI and its task force partners have recovered more than 3,100 children. The investigations and subsequent 1,400 convictions have resulted in lengthy sentences, including 11 life terms and the seizure of more than $3.1 million in assets.
“As with Super Bowl security, the collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement in the operations targeting commercial child sex trafficking was unprecedented,” said Aaron T. Ford, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Newark Division. “The FBI and its partners remain committed to the identification and rescue of minor victims and to hold accountable those who exploit children for financial gain.”
The Newark FBI worked closely with the New Jersey State Police in executing these operations and would like to thank the following federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who participated in these Super Bowl enforcement efforts:

• Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations
• New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice
• New Jersey Department of Child Protection and Permanency
• New Jersey Department of Human Services Police Force
• Atlantic County Prosecutors Office
• Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office
• Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office
• Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office
• Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
• Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office
• Morris County Prosecutor’s Office
• Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office
• Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office
• Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office
• Bergen County Sheriff’s Office
• Hudson County Sheriff’s Office
• Absecon Police Department
• Bridgewater Police Department
• Cape May County Prosecutors Office
• Clifton Police Department
• Edison Police Department
• Egg Harbor Township Police Department
• Fairfield Police Department
• Hopatcong Police Department
• Little Ferry Police Department
• Mount Arlington Police Department
• Newark Police Department
• New Brunswick Police Department
• Ocean City Police Department
• Paramus Police Department
• Parsippany Police Department
• Paterson Police Department
• Pequannock Township Police Department
• Rochelle Park Police Department
• Roxbury Police Department
• Secaucus Police Department
• Somers Point Police Department
• South Hackensack Police Department
• South Plainfield Police Department
• Totowa Police Department
• Wayne Police Department
• Newark FBI National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• KlaasKids Foundation
• IST Research
• Polaris Project

Baltimore City Firefighter and Another Baltimore Man Indicted on Charges Related to the Operation of a Sex Trafficking Business

BALTIMORE—Jamar Marvin Simmons, a/k/a “Mar,” age 30, of Baltimore, was ordered to be detained today on federal charges relating to a commercial sex trafficking business allegedly run by Simmons, a Baltimore City firefighter, and co-defendant Franklin Roosevelt Coit, a/k/a “Frank,” and “Nitty,” age 34, also of Baltimore. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on February 13, 2012.
The charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Commissioner Anthony W. Batts of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein.
According to the six count indictment, from July 2009 through July 2012, Simmons and Coit established and operated a brothel in Baltimore City and rented hotel rooms and another dwelling in Maryland that were also used for prostitution. Simmons and Coit falsely advertised positions online for exotic dancing and an escort service to recruit females, including at least one minor female, from inside and outside the state of Maryland, and arranged to transport the women from various locations outside Maryland, including Delaware, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, South Dakota, and Virginia to Maryland to engage in prostitution. The indictment alleges that the defendants took sexually explicit photographs of the females they recruited, used a computer to post the photographs on the “escort” section of an online advertising website, and listed telephone numbers on the website where the females could be reached to schedule a “date,” or a commercial sex act. Simmons and Coit set the pricing for the commercial sex acts and instructed the females on how to set “dates” over the telephone and how to avoid detection by law enforcement. According to the indictment, Simmons and Coit collected and shared the cash proceeds of the prostitution business and used a firearm and ammunition to protect the prostitution business and its cash proceeds.
The defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy; a maximum of life in prison for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for sex trafficking of a minor; 20 years in prison for enticing or coercing individuals to engage in prostitution; and 10 years in prison for interstate transportation for the purpose of prostitution. Coit also faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Coit is detained on state charges and no federal court appearance has been scheduled.
The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force (MCETF), created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The task force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.
MCETF partners with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md/Human-Trafficking/index.html.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore Police Department, and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Yasser, who is prosecuting the case.

Charlotte Woman Sentenced for Role in Recruiting 13-Year-Old Girl into Prostitution Organization

RICHMOND, VA—Rachael Masingene, 21, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to transport an individual across state lines for prostitution.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jeffrey C. Mazanec, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and D.A. Middleton, Chief of Police for the Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
“Rachael Masingene played an integral role in recruiting a 13-year-old girl into the vile world of sex trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “She taught the girl the business of online prostitution and lived with her in hotels for months while the victim’s family desperately searched for their child. Many people think human trafficking is a man’s business—but the recruiters are often women, and we hold them accountable.”
“It is reprehensible for an adult to recruit a vulnerable and defenseless child into the vile world of prostitution,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mazanec. “Children deserve to be protected from the criminal world—not recruited into it. Today’s sentence is a strong reflection that this criminal behavior will not be tolerated. Our office will continue to work with the United States Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners to interdict this kind of criminal activity that unfortunately plagues many states across the country.”
Masingene pled guilty on September 27, 2012 to conspiracy to transport an individual across state lines for purpose of prostitution. According to court documents, Masingne worked as a prostitute for Korey Reynolds in the Charlotte area from 2011 through 2012. In a statement of facts filed with her plea agreement, Masingne admitted that in February or March 2012, she met a 13-year old female while she, Reynolds, and Whitney Hayes, another woman who was also working as a prostitute for Reynolds, were in Miami, Florida. Masingene acknowledged that she and Hayes recruited the 13-year old to join the prostitution organization. Once they were back in Charlotte, Masingene and Hayes taught the juvenile the business of prostitution, including posting Internet advertisements offering the female as a prostitute to prospective customers. In May 2012, Reynolds, Masingene, and Hayes transported the juvenile from Charlotte to Richmond, Virginia with the intent that the juvenile engage in prostitution while in Virginia.
Reynolds was convicted of transporting a minor in interstate commerce for purposes of prostitution and was sentenced to 130 months of imprisonment. Hayes was also convicted of conspiracy to transport an individual across state lines for prostitution and was sentenced to 57 months of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Henrico County Police Division. Assistant United States Attorney Jamie L. Mickelson prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Benson December Coriolant Sentenced to 40 Years for Sex Trafficking a Child into the New Orleans Area

Benson December Coriolant, 30, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Lance M. Africk to 40 years in prison after he was previously convicted by a federal jury of sex trafficking of a child, conspiring with others to sex traffic a child, coercing and enticing an individual to engage in prostitution, and coercing and enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Dana J. Boente. This is the first human sex trafficking conviction in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to evidence introduced at trial, in late 2008, Coriolant met R.V., a 14-year-old female. Shortly thereafter, he began a sexual relationship with her. After convincing the minor that their relationship was one of boyfriend/girlfriend, Coriolant recruited R.V. to begin working for him as a prostitute in the Orlando area. Coriolant posted advertisements on multiple city-specific Internet classified ad websites offering prostitution services of the minor. Over the course of the next year, Coriolant forced R.V. to engage in dozens of sexual acts in exchange for money throughout the state of Florida. Coriolant forced R.V. to turn over the money she earned from prostitution either to him or one of his associates. Coriolant also provided R.V. with alcohol and illicit drugs, such as Ecstasy, as a way of numbing her senses and controlling her behavior.
In March 2010, Coriolant drove R.V., who was then 15 years old, to Kenner, Louisiana, to work as a prostitute. Coriolant used the New Orleans version of an online classified advertisement website to solicit individuals interested in paying for sex with the minor. Coriolant required R.V. to put the money she made from prostitution, thousands of dollars, into a bank account for his benefit. He further forced her to account for all of her expenses, including personal expenses, such as food, in a journal, daily letters, and text messages to him. Coriolant also instructed R.V. in what to charge for sex, how to provide him with the profits, how to attract business, how to avoid being apprehended by law enforcement, and how to perform certain sexual acts.
On April 24, 2010, R.V. was discovered by law enforcement authorities and ultimately sent back to Orlando with relatives. Once back in Orlando, Coriolant instructed R.V. to continue engaging in prostitution but to have sex only with regular, familiar clients because of concerns with law enforcement finding her.
In May 2010, Coriolant sent the minor back to New Orleans a second time to work as a prostitute. Coriolant again advertised sex with the minor on an online classified advertisement website. R.V. was arrested several days later.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state ,and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was further brought as part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, which was aimed at addressing the growing problem of domestic sex trafficking of children in the United States. In the nine years since its inception, the initiative has resulted in the development of 47 dedicated task forces and working groups throughout the U.S. involving federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working in tandem with U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans Division. The Tampa Division of the FBI and the Kenner, Louisiana Police Department also provided critical investigative assistance. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Juliana Etland, and Sean Toomey.

Pimp Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Prostituting a Child Online

GREENBELT, MD—Chief U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Melvin Douglas, a/k/a Melvin Longwood, age 32, of Washington, D.C., today to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for transporting a minor across state lines to engage in prostitution. Judge Chasanow ordered that upon his release from prison, Douglas must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, as part of the Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks.
According to Douglas’ plea agreement, from September 5, 2011 to February 9, 2012, Douglas transported a minor female from Washington, D.C. to hotels in Maryland to engage in prostitution. The Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit received a missing child alert from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for a 15-year-old female who had been reported missing from Prince William County, Virginia. The Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force located an ad on a website frequently used to advertise prostitution and escort services that featured the missing girl.
A “date” was made with the victim using the telephone number from the advertisement. A law enforcement officer was instructed to meet the girl at a motel in College Park, Maryland, on February 9, 2012. An agent saw Douglas and another individual exit the motel room a few minutes before the arranged time for the date and approach an SUV. Douglas was stopped and searched. A room key and $3,000 were seized. The missing girl was found in the motel room and interviewed. She confirmed that Douglas kept all the money she earned by prostitution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
The case was part of the Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force efforts to combat child prostitution. The Task Force, created in 2010 is composed of 15 members representing 10 agencies, both state and federal. Since October 2011, the TF has recovered 32 juveniles and investigated 25 cases that have resulted in state and federal prosecutions. The task force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Maryland State Police, Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney LisaMarie Freitas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristi N. O’Malley, who prosecuted the case.

Alleged Reno Pimp Indicted on Federal Charges of Transporting 15-Year-Old Girl from California to Reno for Prostitution

RENO, NV—An alleged pimp from the Reno area has been indicted by the federal grand jury on a sex trafficking charge for transporting a 15-year-old girl from Bakersfield, California to Reno, Nevada, to work as a prostitute, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
Vernon McCullum, III, aka “Fifth,” 20, of Reno, was indicted on Wednesday, January 23, 2013, and is charged with one count of illegal transportation of a minor for prostitution or other illegal sexual activity. If convicted, McCullum faces a minimum of 10 years to life in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. McCullum is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge in Reno today at 3:00 p.m. for an arraignment and plea.
According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on January 10, 2013, the Bakersfield, California Police Department received a report of a missing 15-year-old girl and opened an investigation. The investigation revealed that an advertisement had been posted on the Internet website Myredbook.com stating that an individual using the name “Babyfaith” was available for prostitution services. The telephone number listed in the advertisement was that of the missing girl. The investigation further revealed that two days earlier, on January 8, 2013, in Bakersfield, the 15-year-old girl was introduced to McCullum by a female acquaintance who had been working for McCullum as a prostitute. On January 9, 2013, McCullum drove the 15-year-old and the other female to a hotel room in Reno and directed the female acquaintance to take nude pictures of the 15-year-old, which were then uploaded onto the Myredbook.com website. Following the posting of the advertisement on the website, the 15-year-old engaged in prostitution at McCullum’s direction and was required to provide proceeds of the prostitution activity to the female acquaintance who provided it to McCullum.
The case is being investigated by the Bakersfield Police Department and the Reno Police Department Street Enforcement Team, which includes the Sparks Police Department and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI, as part of their Innocence Lost Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carla B. Higginbotham.
An indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

En Fuego Ministry 'Apostle' Sentenced to Life for Child Sex Trafficking

ORLANDO—U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Luis E. Morales (58, Ormond Beach) to life in federal prison for child sex trafficking and transporting children across state lines to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Morales to pay more than $35,000 in restitution to the victims of the offenses and to forfeit his interest in the property located at 8 Crossings Trail in Ormond Beach.
Judge Dalton also sentenced Morales’ co-defendant, Rebeca Rivera (28, Hartford, Connecticut) today. Rivera was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for her role in aiding and abetting the sex trafficking of a child and the transportation of a child across state lines to engage in sexual activity. As part of her sentence, Rivera was ordered to pay $31,030 in restitution to the victim of her offenses, to serve 10 years of supervised release, and to register as a sex offender.
Morales and Rivera were convicted on November 5, 2012.
According to evidence presented at trial, Morales was a self-proclaimed “apostle” in a ministry that he founded called En Fuego for Jesus. Rivera was one of his “prophets” in the ministry. In November 2009, Morales transported a 12-year-old ministry member from Florida to Connecticut, knowing that the minor would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act. While in Connecticut, Rivera recruited, encouraged, and enticed the minor to engage in sex acts with Morales. Later in November 2009, Morales transported the minor from Connecticut to Florida with the intent to engage in sexual activity with the minor. In December 2010, Morales transported a 13-year-old member of the ministry from Arizona to Florida, and then to the Virgin Islands, with the intent to engage in sexual activity with that minor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”

Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking, Producing Child Pornography

KANSAS CITY, MO—Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court today to child sex trafficking and producing child pornography, which was discovered during an investigation into an extortion and blackmail scheme.
Corey M. McKinney, also known as “Chef FireFlame Corey,” 36, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays. McKinney’s plea came during the second day of his trial on the charges contained in an August 30, 2011, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, McKinney admitted that he was sexually active on numerous occasions with the child victim,  identified in court documents as “CV,” since she was 14 years old. McKinney, who was the legal guardian of CV, admitted that he used computers and video equipment to record sexual activity between himself and CV. McKinney also admitted that he caused CV to engage in prostitution as part of an extortion and blackmail scheme.
On March 24, 2011, McKinney was hiding in the bedroom closet while CV was having sex with a man identified in court documents as “John Doe.” John Doe had just met CV, whom he believed to be 17 years old, on Facebook the day before. McKinney secretly recorded the sexual encounter on his cell phone and on a nearby computer.
John Doe returned to the apartment the next day to have sex again. McKinney burst into the room, asking John Doe if he knew how much trouble he could get into because his sister was only 16 years old. John Doe did not know that the girl was actually 16 years old or that McKinney had recorded the earlier illicit encounter. He did not know that the 16-year-old girl was not actually McKinney’s sister but rather was a former neighbor that McKinney himself—a 34-year-old man at the time, a few years older than John Doe—had been exploiting sexually.
After demanding $500 in exchange for not exposing John Doe to his family, friends, employer, or the authorities, McKinney made John Doe go with him to a nearby ATM to get some form of this payment. John Doe was only able to pay $100 at that time, and McKinney demanded that he pay the balance in the next few days.
After this encounter, John Doe received a flurry of text messages from McKinney, who made threats and demanded money. McKinney claimed he sent the video file to a friend who worked at a local news agency. He also attempted to confront John Doe by arriving unannounced at his home. After numerous texts and an attempted in-face confrontation, John Doe approached the authorities and advised them of the extortion attempts. The text message threats from McKinney continued, and soon John Doe learned that McKinney was posting information about him and his wife on his Facebook page. Eventually, an exchange was arranged (through the direction of the Kansas City Police Department) to pay the remainder of the money in exchange for a USB drive with the video on it.
On April 7, 2011, McKinney was arrested at DeVry University in Kansas City, Missouri, (where he was a student) after he exchanged a USB drive containing the video for money that he had been demanding from John Doe. Evidence uncovered during the investigation included various videos and images constituting child pornography with McKinney engaged in sexual activity with the same child victim. When investigators searched the minor’s cell phone, they found several sexually explicit photos of McKinney and the minor, as well as sexually explicit photos of John Doe and the minor.
McKinney admitted that while he was incarcerated after his arrest he called the child victim dozens of times in repeated efforts to get her to recant her prior statements and testimony and persuade her to submit a statement on his behalf in the hopes of getting the charges against him dismissed.
Under federal statutes, McKinney is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $500,000 and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Daly and Brian P. Casey. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the FBI in conjunction with the Human Trafficking Rescue Project.
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available online at http://www.justice.gov/usao/mow/index.html.

Philadelphia Man Charged with Child Sex Trafficking

PHILADELPHIA—Rashaad McIntyre, 35, a/k/a “Sincere,” of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged today by indictment with one count of production of child pornography and three counts of sex trafficking of a minor, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
According to the indictment, from at least December 2011 until at least June 2012, McIntyre was the operator of a prostitution venture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As part of this venture, McIntyre recruited young females to work as prostitutes in his business. Three of the females whom he allegedly recruited and who worked for him were under the age of 18 years at the time. McIntyre allegedly created Internet advertisements in which he advertised various females as available for purchase for purposes of prostitution. These advertisements featured pictures of the females, scantily clad, and a phone number to call to arrange a meeting with a female.
The indictment further alleges that McIntyre produced a child pornography image of Minor 2.
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison with a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on count one; a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison with and a maximum possible sentence of life on counts two through four, and a fine of up to $1 million, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $400 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan.

MS-13 Clique Leader Sentenced to 210 Months for Child Sex Trafficking

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Yimmy Pineda-Penado, aka “Critico,” 22, of Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a gang-run juvenile prostitution ring.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
According to court documents and testimony, Pineda-Penado, originally from El Salvador, became involved in juvenile sex trafficking through his membership in MS-13. He was personally responsible for prostituting at least one juvenile female. His involvement in MS-13’s juvenile sex trafficking scheme lasted from the fall of 2009 until the spring of 2010.
MS-13 members prostituted the victim at various motels and apartments in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, and Falls Church in Virginia, as well as in Maryland. The victim was not permitted to leave the prostitution scheme, and MS-13 members plied her with drugs and alcohol to make her more compliant while her body was being exploited for profit.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and HIS Washington, D.C., with assistance from the Fairfax County Police Department and the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Terwilliger and Patricia Giles prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Founded in 2004, the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies—along with nongovernmental organizations—dedicated to combating human trafficking and related crimes. From FY2011 to the present, 44 defendants have been prosecuted in 25 cases in the Eastern District of Virginia for human trafficking and trafficking-related conduct involving at least 32 victims.
Anyone who suspects instances of human trafficking is encouraged to call the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or to complete its online tip form: http://www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Anonymous calls are welcome.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.

18 Child Porn Websites Shut Down Result of Joint U.S.-China Cooperation

In another example of the increasingly international nature of crime, a man was recently indicted on federal charges of running 18 Chinese-language child pornography websites out of his apartment in Flushing, New York. The websites were being advertised to Chinese-speaking individuals in China, in the U.S., and other countries.
This case serves as an example of something else as well: the increasingly international nature of law enforcement. While the FBI investigated this case in the U.S., we received what U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York called “extensive cooperation and assistance” from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.
How it all started. In late 2010, the FBI—through our legal attaché office in Beijing—received information from Chinese officials about their investigation of a large-scale child pornography website housed on U.S. servers. And one of their main suspects, a Chinese-born man, was living in New York. So our New York office opened an investigation under our Innocent Images National Initiative and instituted an undercover operation.
The investigation. While the main webpage advertised the various categories of pornographic pictures that were available, our undercover agents—with the help of an FBI Chinese language specialist—discovered that in order to actually view, post, or download the pornography, you had to pay a membership fee ($25 quarterly, $50 annually, and $100 for a “lifetime” membership). The website conveniently accepted all payment types—credit cards, wire and bank transfers, online payments, and even cash that could be mailed to what turned out to be a money transfer office in New York. After becoming “members,” the agents saw hundreds of disturbing pictures and videos of children of all different nationalities engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Through our investigative efforts, we were able to determine that the site—and its related online payment system—resided on the servers of a web hosting company in Dallas and that the subscriber of the website domain lived in Flushing. We also traced two e-mail accounts—one featured on the site and the other affiliated with the website domain—back to the same individual. Through billing information, we learned that the man had made about $20,000 per month from his subscribers. We believe he had been operating the site since at least 2007.
After the arrest, we identified 17 additional Chinese-language child pornography websites he allegedly maintained and operated. We also seized two servers in Dallas where those sites were hosted. All 18 websites have been shut down.
During the course of the operation, FBI and Chinese investigators and prosecutors met to discuss the case and to talk about future cooperation on similar cases.
One concrete outcome of this partnership? The Ministry of Public Security sent its first Chinese officer to join the FBI’s Innocent Images International Task Force and receive specialized training on such topics as legal principles, emerging trends and technologies, and investigative techniques. Once the fall 2011 training session is completed, the task force will number 100 officers in 43 countries. Since its launch in 2004, the task force has built an international network of Internet child sexual exploitation investigators who share intelligence and work joint operations across national borders. Exactly what’s needed to combat the many child pornographers using the Internet to extend their nefarious reach around the globe.

Operation Cross Country Nationwide Sweep Recovers Child Victims of Prostitution

In the continuing effort to address the national problem of child sex trafficking, the FBI and our partners today announced the results of a three-day law enforcement action in which 79 child victims of prostitution were recovered and more than 100 pimps were arrested.
Operation Cross Country VI, part of the Bureau’s Innocence Lost National Initiative, was conducted over the past 72 hours in 57 cities around the country with the help of state and local law enforcement and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
“Child prostitution remains a major threat to children across America,” said Kevin Perkins, acting executive assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “It is a violent and deplorable crime, and we are working with our partners to disrupt and put behind bars individuals and members of criminal enterprises who would sexually exploit children.”

Kevin Perkins, right, acting executive assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, and Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, brief the media on Operation Cross Country.

The Innocence Lost National Initiative was launched in 2003 by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division in partnership with NCMEC and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
To date, 47 Innocence Lost Task Forces and working groups have recovered more than 2,200 children from the streets. The investigations and subsequent 1,017 convictions of pimps, madams, and their associates who exploit children through prostitution have resulted in lengthy sentences—including multiple sentences of 25 years to life in prison—and the seizure of more than $3 million in assets.
Operation Cross Country national sweeps usually grow out of local law enforcement actions—officers and other task force members target places of prostitution such as truck stops, casinos, street “tracks,” and Internet websites. Initial arrests are often for violations of local and state laws relating to prostitution or solicitation. Intelligence gathered from those arrested can reveal organized efforts to prostitute women and children across many states. FBI agents further develop this information in partnership with U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section to bring federal charges against pimps and other sex traffickers.
“It is clear that child prostitution and sex trafficking do not just occur somewhere else on the other side of the world,” said Ernie Allen, president of NCMEC. “These insidious crimes are occurring in American cities, and the victims are American kids.”
At a press conference today at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Allen thanked the FBI for its leadership over the past decade in fighting domestic sex trafficking. The Bureau, in turn, expressed gratitude to the more than 8,500 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers representing 414 separate agencies who participated in the most recent Operation Cross Country and ongoing enforcement efforts.
In addition to its enforcement successes, the Innocence Lost National Initiative brings state and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and social service providers from across the country to NCMEC, where the groups receive training together.