Richard Anthony Moffett, a/k/a “Mook,” pleaded guilty to three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion in Jacksonville, Florida. The 31-year-old faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
Moffett’s exploitation began in the middle of 2016 when he moved from Ohio to Jacksonville. He coerced his victims, including D.D., through her heroin addiction, forcing her to provide commercial sex for him. This continued until February 2017.
In February 2017, Moffett targeted another victim, S.B., and convinced her, along with another woman, to travel to Akron, Ohio, under false pretenses of meeting Moffett’s newborn daughters. Once in Akron, he coerced the women into engaging in commercial sex to earn money for their return trip.
Moffett continued his reign of terror upon returning to Jacksonville. He advertised S.B. on Backpage.com and took all proceeds from her commercial sex acts, including beating her as punishment. In April 2017, another victim, S.A., was forced into the same cycle after becoming homeless.
The scandal erupted in April 2017 when S.A. and another woman were arrested for prostitution. Moffett attempted to deceive authorities by denying he was their pimp. S.A. was released from jail, but he remained a constant threat. In May 2017, she was arrested again, and Moffett warned her of his pursuit.
This case, which spanned multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, ATF, FBI, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Wolfson.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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