Two San Jose Men Indicted and Held for Sex Trafficking of Children
| U.S. Attorney’s Office February 25, 2014 |
SAN JOSE—A federal grand jury in San Jose indicted Justin Everett Crutchfield and Demontae Terrell Toliver on January 29, 2014, with sex trafficking of children and sexual exploitation of children, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson.
According to the indictment, Crutchfield and Toliver, ages 27 and 23, respectively, both of San Jose, California, are alleged to have engaged in sex trafficking of children between June 16, 2013 and June 22, 2013, recruiting and coercing two girls, ages 15 and 17, to engage in commercial sex acts on the streets of San Jose for the financial benefit of the men. Both men are further charged with the production of child pornography for taking pictures of both girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct. At the time of his arrest, Crutchfield was employed as a Peer Health Counselor with the Santa Clara County Department of Mental Health, a fact that he freely shared with the victims when he provided them with his business card.
Crutchfield was arrested by San Jose Police in June 2013, and was initially charged by the County of Santa Clara. Toliver was arrested pursuant to an outstanding warrant from the State of California on February 8, 2014. Both men were turned over to federal authorities on February 11, 2014, and made their initial appearances in federal court in San Jose that same day. Toliver had a continued bail hearing today before the Honorable Howard G. Lloyd, United States Magistrate Court Judge, and was ordered to be detained pending trial. Crutchfield is also currently being held without bail. The defendants’ next scheduled appearance is at 9:00 a.m. on April 17, 2014, before the Honorable D. Lowell Jensen, United States District Court Judge.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison, a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000 for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1591 and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000 for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a). However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Amie D. Rooney is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Tracey Andersen. The prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by the San Jose Police Department Human Trafficking Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Please note that a criminal complaint contains only allegations against an individual, and, as with all defendants, Justin Everett Crutchfield and Demontae Terrell Toliver must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone who suspects instances of human trafficking is encouraged to call the FBI or the Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Anonymous calls are welcome.
In addition, suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children via its toll-free 24-hour hotline 1-800-843-5678.