Centreville Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Of A Minor

Demerous E. Foxworth, 25, of Centreville, Illinois, was sentenced on Friday, July 22, 2016, in the U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison for Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Use of a Facility of Interstate Commerce to Promote an Unlawful Activity, United States Attorney Donald S. Boyce announced today. Foxworth was also ordered to pay a $500 fine and $200 special assessment. When Foxworth is released from prison, he will be on federal supervised release for an additional 10 years.

Documents filed in the District Court establish that in the summer of 2014, Foxworth contacted a 16-year-old female and established a sexual relationship with her. Shortly after meeting the minor, Foxworth offered to help her make money by engaging in illegal prostitution. Foxworth thereafter repeatedly posted advertisements on the internet offering for the minor victim to engage in prostitution, for which Foxworth received a portion of the money. In addition, starting in October 2012 and continuing until October 2015, Foxworth recruited five adult women to engage in illegal prostitution. He facilitated the prostitution of the five women by posting advertisements on the internet and arranging transportation and/or accommodations for the calls received in answer to the advertisements. Foxworth received a portion of the money made by each woman for engaging in the acts of prostitution.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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."

This investigation was conducted by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Louis and Springfield Offices. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers.