California Man Sentenced for Transportation for Prostitution

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Los Angeles, California man convicted of transportation for prostitution was sentenced on March 3, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Joe Charles Becker, age 33, was sentenced to 15 months in custody. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and be on supervised release for five years.

Becker was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 13, 2013, for transportation for prostitution, inducing travel to engage in prostitution, and sex trafficking. He pled guilty to the charge oftransportation for prostitution on November 26, 2013.

On August 3, 2013, the Sioux Falls Police Department learned that Becker was posting advertisements on the Internet for prostitution. Becker met the 20-year-old victim in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and paid for her bus ticket to Sioux Falls for the purpose of engaging in illegal commercial sex acts in Sioux Falls. The woman involved reported the prostitution activity to the police after she fled the hotel. When police went to Becker’s hotel, they found him with almost $7,000 in cash and a computer and cell phone used to post the advertisements for prostitution.

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

Becker was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.