Oakland Resident Convicted of Trafficking a Minor for Purposes of Prostitution

SAN FRANCISCO—Yesterday afternoon, a federal jury convicted Roderick Harold Bolds on one charge of sex trafficking of children and another charge of transportation of a minor for purposes of prostitution, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson.

The jury found that beginning on or about July 3, 2011 and continuing through July 11, 2011, Bolds recruited a minor from Reno, Nevada to Oakland, California. Bolds knew or ignored the fact that the minor was not 18 years of age and would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act. The guilty verdict followed a jury trial before the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, United States District Court Judge.

Evidence at trial showed that Bolds, of Oakland, California, met the victim in Reno, Nevada, when she was 15 years old and convinced her to come to Oakland, where he intended that she engage in prostitution. From July 4, 2011 to July 11, 2011, Bolds prostituted the victim on the streets of San Francisco and Oakland and placed an advertisement for her services online. The victim was arrested in the Mission District of San Francisco on prostitution-related charges by the San Francisco Police Department, who referred the case to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Bolds was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 27, 2011. He was charged with one count of sex trafficking of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1591(a)(1), and one count of transportation of a minor for purpose of prostitution, 18 U.S.C. § 2423(a). He has been in prison since his arrest. Bold’s sentencing hearing is set for April 16, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Charles R. Breyer in San Francisco. Each of the counts for which Bolds was convicted carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Kevin J. Barry and Laura Vartain Horn are the Assistant United States Attorneys prosecuting the case with the assistance of Alycee Lane and Jacquelyn Lovrin. The prosecution is the result of an investigation of the FBI, with assistance from the San Francisco and Oakland Police Departments.