Fresno Man Charged With Sex Trafficking Under-Aged Girl

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Tryvell Powell, 33, of Fresno, charging him with sex trafficking of a minor, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, on June 3, 2014, a relative of a teenaged runaway reported to Fresno police that pictures of her were posted online in advertisements for prostitution. Fresno detectives used the advertisements to contact the girl and arrested Powell. Powell had prostituted her for five months. He forced her earn $300 a day, all of which he kept, and he threatened to kill her and her unborn child if she left him.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Frye is prosecuting the case.

Powell is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. in federal court in Fresno before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary S. Austin on Friday, June 20, 2014.

If convicted, Powell faces a minimum penalty of 15 years to life in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.