Former U.S. Bureau of Prisons Employee Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Charles Carstersen, 55, of Manteca, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to 11 years and three months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for sex trafficking a minor, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, beginning in April 2014, while employed as an information technology technician at the Bureau of Prisons, Carstersen met the 16-year-old victim and engaged in sex acts with her for money. Between February and March 2015, knowing the victim was underage, he pursued a romantic relationship with her and encouraged her to participate in prostitution, renting hotel rooms for her in the Sacramento area and helping her to post online prostitution advertisements. He also encouraged her to engage in prostitution with two other females that he knew.

“Charles Carstersen’s illegal activities were in direct opposition to the core values of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a system that holds its employees to a high standard of character and conduct,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan. “Commercial sexual exploitation of a minor is a serious crime that preys upon vulnerable young men and women in our community. As Carstersen’s victim discovered, there is hope. We encourage anyone who may be a victim to reach out to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center by calling 888-373-7888 or their local FBI office to obtain help and ensure the exploiter faces justice.”

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Sacramento Child Exploitation Task Force, with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, and the Roseville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith prosecuted the case.

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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.