North Carolina Man Indicted For Transporting A Minor For The Purpose Of Engaging In Prostitution

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Ronnie Travis Hall, III (27, Charlotte, NC) with transportation of a minor with the intent that she engage in prostitution. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to court documents, on or about April 9, 2014, Hall knowingly transported a minor victim from Georgia to Florida with the intent that she engage in prostitution. For approximately two months, Hall allegedly forced the minor to work as a prostitute by having her walk the streets and by advertising her services on the Internet. During this time, he transported the minor victim from Charlotte, to Atlanta, and ultimately to Orlando. Hall kept all of the money earned by the victim and used it for himself and the victim’s expenses.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.