Bay Area Resident Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Producing Child Pornography And Engaging In Sex Trafficking Of A Minor 

SAN FRANCISCO – Kenneth Orlando Sparks was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for producing child pornography and for engaging in the sex trafficking of a minor, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Vince Chhabria, United States District Judge.

A jury convicted Sparks, 37, of Oakland, Calif., of the charges on March 20, 2023. The evidence at trial established that Sparks produced child pornography by recording multiple videos of himself having sex with a minor victim in July 2019. Further, the evidence demonstrated that Sparks engaged in sex trafficking of a minor for his actions enticing, recruiting, and transporting the minor victim to Oakland and San Francisco to engage in commercial sex work on “the Blade” (a generic term used to describe both cities’ commercial sex strips).

Trial evidence demonstrated Sparks had been warned about the minor victim’s age and nevertheless transported her to the Bay Area for commercial sex on three occasions after receiving the warning. Sparks provided the minor accommodation in the Bay Area, offered her advice and instruction while she was working on the Blade, and arranged to transport the minor to and from the Blade to facilitate her ability to engage in commercial sex.

A federal grand jury indicted Sparks on September 29, 2021, charging him with one count each of production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a); sex trafficking of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1591(a)(1), (b)(2), (c); coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b); and receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2). The government dismissed the receipt of child pornography charge before trial and the jury acquitted Sparks of the enticement charge.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Chhabria ordered Sparks to serve five years of supervised release to begin after the prison term is completed.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ilham Hosseini and Alethea Sargent are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez and Megan Pagaduan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and San Francisco Police Department.