New York Man Charged With Attempted Sex Trafficking Of A Minor

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a criminal information was filed today charging a New York man who was staying in northeastern Pennsylvania at the time of his arrest, with attempted sex trafficking of a minor.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the defendant Adrian Smith, age 21, is accused in the information of participating in the attempted sex trafficking of three female minors in Scranton during August 2016.

The charge stems from an investigation by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Scranton Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Smith faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of life in prison.  

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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

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 guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.

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