FARGO, ND – A 50-year-old Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor.
US Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on January 24, 2017, Steven Edward Meierding, 50, Minneapolis, Minn., was sentenced before US District Judge Ralph R. Erickson to serve 10 years in prison for Sex Trafficking of a Child.
Meierding was also sentenced to serve 15 years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund, and must register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Meierding met the 17-year-old girl at a gas station in Minneapolis and subsequently took her to his residence where he took photos of her that were later used in Backpage.com advertisements for commercial sex.
Meierding then transported the underage girl to Fargo where he dropped her off at a residence where his co-defendant, Brenda Godoy, was residing.
The case came to the attention of law enforcement after the Fargo Police Department encountered a 17-year-old runaway during a traffic stop.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, Fargo Police Department, and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Assistant US Attorney Jennifer Puhl prosecuted the case in coordination with the North Dakota Human Trafficking Task Force.
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Key Facts
- State: North Dakota
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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