Minneapolis Man Jailed for Sex Trafficking Child in Fargo

Steven Edward Meierding, 50, of Minneapolis, Minn., is behind bars for a decade after being convicted of sex trafficking a minor in a sordid operation that stretched from Minneapolis to Fargo. On January 24, 2017, U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson sentenced Meierding to 10 years in federal prison for Sex Trafficking of a Child, a crime that exploited a vulnerable 17-year-old runaway for profit and prostitution.

Meierding didn’t act alone. He met the underage girl at a gas station in Minneapolis, lured her to his residence, and photographed her for explicit ads posted on Backpage.com. Between May 2015 and June 15, 2015, he transported her across state lines to Fargo, ND, where he dropped her off at a house occupied by co-defendant Brenda Godoy. There, the girl was pushed into commercial sex acts while Meierding and Godoy split the earnings—cash built on coercion and desperation.

The scheme unraveled when Fargo Police pulled over a vehicle during a routine traffic stop and encountered the runaway. Suspicious and trained to spot trafficking indicators, officers dug deeper. With support from Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, they uncovered digital trails showing Meierding’s role in orchestrating the girl’s exploitation. Texts, ads, and financial records painted a damning picture of predation masked as opportunity.

Judge Erickson didn’t just impose prison time. Meierding must serve 15 years of supervised release, pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund, and register as a sex offender for life. The sentencing sends a clear message: profiting from the sexual abuse of children will trigger relentless federal pursuit and severe consequences.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl prosecuted the case with support from the North Dakota Human Trafficking Task Force (NDHTTF), a coalition of federal, state, and local agencies focused on rescuing victims and dismantling trafficking networks. The task force, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the North Dakota Council on Abused Women Services (CAWS), underscores a growing push to treat human trafficking not as a shadow crime, but as a top-tier prosecutorial priority.

This case, investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Fargo Police Department, and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, exposes how easily minors can be snatched from the streets and thrust into the underground sex trade. Meierding’s conviction is a win—but for every predator caught, investigators know there are more operating in the dark.

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