Stockton Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking

Ricky Lee Richardson, Jr., 41, of Stockton, has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child, marking the end of a years-long federal investigation into the exploitation of a minor for commercial sex acts across Northern California.

Court documents reveal Richardson recruited a 16-year-old girl in November 2011 and forced her into prostitution from December 2011 through March 2012. He orchestrated her appearances at motels in Stockton and other locations, arranging nude photo shoots and posting explicit ads online to solicit buyers. The operation was methodical, cold, and designed to profit from the victim’s abuse.

Richardson provided the minor with fake identification so she could rent motel rooms under false names, then collected all money she was paid for the acts. He maintained control over her movement, her image, and her income—treating a child as a commodity. The digital trail of online ads and photo records sealed his culpability.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation, with critical support from the Stockton Police Department. Richardson was arrested in April 2016 and has remained in federal custody since. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and Jill M. Thomas.

He is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Troy L. Nunley on May 17, 2018. Richardson faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. While the final sentence will reflect federal guidelines and judicial discretion, the severity of the crime leaves little room for leniency.

This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. The program combines federal, state, and local efforts to target predators, dismantle trafficking networks, and rescue child victims. For more information, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

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