Philadelphia Man Charged in Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

Adrian Palmer, 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is charged by indictment, unsealed today, with conspiring in the sex trafficking of girls under the age of 18. Palmer is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of sex trafficking of minors, and one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Palmer was arrested last night.

According to the indictment, between June 1, 2012 and June 14, 2012, Palmer, who worked as a security guard at a Days Inn motel on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia, provided protection and assistance to sex traffickers operating at the motel in exchange for a daily fee. Craig Johnson, indicted elsewhere, who was the operator of the sex trafficking venture, recruited young females to work as prostitutes. Johnson paid Palmer between $60 and $100 a day in exchange for advice about Johnson’s sex trafficking organization, including Johnson’s Backpage.com advertisements. Palmer also allegedly provided Johnson with clients for the sex trafficking business and provided protection for Johnson so that law enforcement authorities would not be alerted to the sex trafficking operation. It is further alleged that in August 2013, Palmer accepted $100 from a confidential witness in exchange for protecting him from law enforcement so he could engage in the sex trafficking of a (fictitious) 16-year-old minor.

If convicted of all charges, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison with a maximum of 30 years, a fine of up to $750,000, up to a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan.

An indictment or information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.