Toledo Man Charged with Sex Trafficking of Children

An indictment was filed charging Duane Hill with sex trafficking of children and obstructing the investigation of child sex trafficking, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Hill, 25, resides in Toledo, Ohio, according to court records.

Count one charges that on or about August 8, 2012, Hill recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, and provided by any means, in and affecting interstate commerce, “A.W.,” knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that A.W. had not attainted the age of 18 year and that A.W. would engage in a commercial sex act.

Count two charges that on or about September 6, 2012, Hill provided false and misleading information to investigators assigned to the Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force who were investigating the offense charged in count one.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any; the defendant’s role in the offense; and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum. For convictions of sex trafficking of minors, the law provides a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of life. In addition, any term of imprisonment must be followed by a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life.

The investigating agency in this case is the Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and the FBI.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.