The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Coy C. Klinger, 37, of Lower Paxton Township, Pennsylvania was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg charging him with sex trafficking of children, coercion and enticement, production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of property involved in the alleged criminal conduct.

According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, Klinger allegedly sought out young girls and women online and paid them to engage in acts of prostitution from his home in Lower Paxton Township between January and June 2014. Evidence was allegedly found on electronic devices in Klinger’s home. The devices, including an Iphone, a cell phone, desktop and laptop computers, and a Nikon camera, as well as the residence itself located at 5716 Kenwood Avenue, are listed in a notice of forfeiture in the indictment.

Klinger appeared today before Chief Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson for his initial appearance. Klinger was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for September 15.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lower Paxton Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith A. Taylor.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

If convicted, Klinger faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment on the production charge, a mandatory minimum 10 years’ imprisonment on the sex trafficking charge, a mandatory minimum 10 years’ imprisonment on the coercion and enticement charge and a statutory maximum of life imprisonment.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.