Timothy Gravens, Commercial Sex Trafficking, South Dakota 2014

A Texas man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for Commercial Sex Trafficking in South Dakota.

According to court documents, Timothy Gravens, age 55, was arrested during an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2013 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Gravens was one of nine men who were arrested and federally indicted for Commercial Sex Trafficking, targeting persons willing to pay to have sex with underage girls.

The conviction stemmed from Gravens responding to a Craigslist.com advertisement posted by Division of Criminal Investigation undercover agents, which purported to offer young girls for sex.

Following several emails with a person Gravens believed to be associated with a 13-year-old girl, but who in fact was an undercover agent, he proceeded to negotiate the time and place they would meet, along with the price he would pay to have sex with the young girl, which was $300.

Gravens was sentenced on September 22, 2014, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court, and is also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and forfeit an Apple iPhone, a Canon camera, a Sony Cybershot camera, and $300 in U.S. currency.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins prosecuted the case, and the undercover operation and arrests were a joint effort between the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff's office.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/texas-man-sentenced-commercial-sex-trafficking