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Press Release

Twin Cities Man Sentenced To 27 Years In Prison For Sex Trafficking Of Teenage Girls

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota

United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced the sentencing of PHILLIP DWAYNE LOYD a/k/a “PC,” 45, for trafficking three teenage girls for the purpose of commercial sex and production of child pornography. LOYD pleaded guilty on January 25, 2016 and was sentenced yesterday before U.S. District Chief Judge John R. Tunheim.

“Phillip Loyd is a serial predator who bragged that sex trafficking is an essential part of who he is,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Provinzino. “While Loyd spends the next 27 years in prison, the girls he harmed can work to recover from the abuse suffered at his hands. This office will aggressively seek to hold accountable predators like Loyd and give hope to young victims.”  

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, between January 14, 2015, and January 27, 2015, LOYD, who is a registered sex offender, and his co-defendant RAQUEL MONE BELCHER, trafficked three girls in and around the Twin Cities for the purpose of commercial sex. LOYD and BELCHER advertised at least one of the girls for commercial sex on backpage.com.

All three victims were under the age of eighteen. During this time, LOYD also made pornographic videos of one of the minor victims engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

BELCHER pleaded guilty on June 21, 2016, to conspiring with LOYD to commit sex trafficking of minors. She was sentenced to 52 months in prison.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

If you know of any child who may have been a victim of exploitation, please call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit NCMEC’s web site at www.missingkids.com.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Minneapolis Police Department, Saint Paul Police Department, Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino.

 

Defendant Information:

PHILLIP DWAYNE LOYD a/k/a “PC,” 45

Coon Rapids, Minn.

Convicted:

  • Sex trafficking of a minor, 1 count
  • Production of child pornography, 1 count

Sentenced:

  • 27 years in prison
  • 20 years supervised release

 

RAQUEL MONE BELCHER, 30

Minneapolis, Minn.

Convicted:

  • Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, 1 count

Sentenced:

  • 52 months in prison
  • 10 years supervised release

     

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    United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

Updated October 25, 2016