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Rochester Man Admits to Sex Trafficking Minor
A 28-year-old Rochester man has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor, according to U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr.
Marques Williams, 28, admitted to paying and posting ads for a 15-year-old victim on Backpage.com, knowing she was under the age of 18. The victim was interviewed by the FBI and stated that she worked as a prostitute for Williams between July 2011 and September 2011.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee is handling the case.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Cyber Crimes Task Force, which includes the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
As part of the plea, Williams admitted to knowingly advertising the minor for prostitution activities on Backpage.com. The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. The plea is a culmination of an investigation that brought together federal, state, and local resources to identify and rescue victims of child exploitation.
Project Safe Childhood has marshaled resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about the initiative, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of child sex trafficking and the importance of continued efforts to combat this crime.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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