Man Charged with Sex Trafficking of Children

MUSKOGEE, OK—Sheldon J. Sperling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced the initial appearance this afternoon of RONNIE PRESLEY, a/ka/ “Pimpin”, a/k/a “PI.”

“The defendant is charged in seven counts of an 11-count federal indictment which was returned in Houston, Texas on August 4, 2009,” reported U.S. Attorney Sperling. “The indictment alleges a conspiracy to engage in sexual trafficking of minor females. The indictment also charges three counts of sexual trafficking of children and three counts of interstate transportation of minors for the purpose of prostitution.”

“The conspiracy is punishable by up to five years in prison. The sexual trafficking and interstate transportation of minors counts are punishable by terms of imprisonment of up to life (for sexual trafficking of minors) and up to 10 years (for interstate transportation), respectfully,” U.S. Attorney Sperling noted.

“The defendant appeared before a magistrate judge at 2:00 p.m. today,” U.S. Attorney Sperling continued. “The Federal Rule 5 Hearing enabled the United States to inform the defendant the nature of the charges and the punishment permitted by law. The defendant was advised of his right to an identity hearing. The hearing is set at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 1, 2009. At such proceeding, the prosecution must sufficiently establish that the person before the court is the defendant charged in the indictment.”

“The indictment alleges the defendant and others participated in a conspiratorial venture to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, and obtain minor females under 18 years of age to engage in commercial sex acts,” reported U.S. Attorney Sperling. “The asserted scheme involved force, fraud and coercion to cause other adult females to engage in commercial sex acts. The indictment further asserts the scope of the charged conspiracy, from May 1, 2005 to December 1, 2008, to include the transportation of underage females in interstate commerce for the purpose of prostitution.”

The means of the conspiracy included:

• recruitment of minor females to work as prostitutes
• recruitment of adult females to work as prostitutes
• sexual intercourse between the defendant and minor females
• air flight of minor females from various locations in Nevada, Arizona and Florida to Houston to work as prostitutes
• instruction of minor and adult females to perform certain acts to insure that the customers they were servicing were not law enforcement officers
• record maintenance concerning the number of “tricks” turned and amount of money paid by customers at various commercialized sex businesses
• adult and minor females were beaten and forced into vehicles and transported at gunpoint, to instill fear and insure their obedience
• a series of telephone calls were made to further the criminal goals of the prostitution enterprise
• certain of the victims were sold to other pimps for purposes of prostitution

"The conspiracy also indentifies certain Houston area commercial sex businesses to include “Total Pleasure” and “Taboo Modeling Studios North.”

“Defendant Presley was arrested this morning by officers of the Muskogee Police Department and Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” U.S. Attorney Sperling stated. 

“The arrest was effected in the Hilldale area, 1604 Beaver Road, in the city of Muskogee. The arrest was the product of remarkable undercover investigative work by the Muskogee detectives and Special Agents of the FBI.”

“This case is being prosecuted under the authority of Tim Johnson, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas,” U.S. Attorney Sperling said. “The lead federal prosecutor in Houston for this matter is Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Snow represented the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma during today’s hearing.

“The above named individuals have been charged with a federal crime or crimes by the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury. A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Statutory maximum punishments are in parentheses. United States Sentencing Guidelines may be considered, upon conviction, by the sentencing court. Federal prison sentences are non-parolable”.