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Defendant Admits to Sex Trafficking Minors on Online Platforms
GALVESTON, Texas – In a shocking revelation, a 33-year-old Sweeny resident has confessed to employing online platforms to advertise three minors as young as 15 for commercial sex acts.
Joseph Church, the mastermind behind the operation, pleaded guilty to the charges on the first day of trial before U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr.
The victims, all under the age of 18, were induced into posing for pictures used in online advertisements for sex and were forced to engage in commercial sex acts for money. Church and his accomplices collected the earnings from the girls and used cell phone applications to monitor them and post online advertisements featuring the minors.
Moreover, Church transported the victims to commercial sex dates and used motels to harbor the minors. The group was aware that the victims were under the age of 18 when they were forced to engage in commercial sex.
Church is not the only one to have pleaded guilty in this case. Six others have also admitted to their roles in the conspiracy, including Angela Marks, 25, of Sweeny; Jamaal Crane, 26, of Angleton; Norris Moon, 25, and Christopher Walton, 24, both of Brazoria; Alisa Kimbler, 26, of Freeport; and Eric Page, 20, of Sherman.
Church has been in custody since his arrest and will remain there until his sentencing on May 15, 2019. If convicted, he faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, as well as a potential fine of $250,000 and at least five years and up to life on supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety, with assistance from sheriff’s offices in Brazoria and Galveston Counties and police departments in Galveston, Sherman, Wharton, La Marque, and the University of Texas Medical Branch. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri Zack and Sebastian Edwards prosecuted the case.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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