Sex Trafficker Faces Life in Prison

Sex Trafficker Faces Life in Prison

A Missouri man has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor and conspiracy charges, facing a life sentence in prison.

Marcus Dewayne Thompson, 28, of Park Hills, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal district court in East St. Louis, Illinois, to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor and by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, and one count of Sex Trafficking of a Minor and by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, announced Acting United States Attorney James L. Porter.

Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 2016, before the Honorable Michael J. Reagan, at which time he faces a sentence of fifteen years to life in prison, not more than 5 years of supervised release after his prison term, a mandatory special assessment of $200, and restitution.

Court proceedings revealed that during a six week period in June and July 2015, Thompson orchestrated a venture with his wife, co-defendant Robin Thompson, which involved the recruitment, transportation, and advertisement of a minor female from Illinois for commercial sex acts in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana.

The 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 government. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.

Thompson’s guilty plea marks a significant victory for law enforcement and a step towards providing justice for the victims of sex trafficking. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.