Criminal Used Gun, Drugs, Violence to Force Minors to Have
Sex in Exchange for Money
Jackson, Miss. – Willie Charles Blackmon, Jr., 37, of
Jackson, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to serve
384 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for
sex trafficking of minors, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and
Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
Blackmon was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and register as a sex offender
for life.
"Harming, threatening and drugging children to do
unspeakable things for money will be swiftly prosecuted by this office and
harshly punished in this district. The men and women in law enforcement, as
well as our prosecutors and support staff, are to be commended for bringing
justice to these victims and accountability to this defendant. I would ask the
public to remain vigilant as to these crimes and to promptly report any
suspicious activities to law enforcement so that other children never become
victims of such heinous acts in the future," said U.S. Attorney Mike
Hurst.
"Exploitation of a child for any reason is despicable
and has no place in our communities," said FBI Special Agent in Charge
Freeze. "The FBI's Child Explotation Task Force will continue to actively
pursue anyone who deprives the community of the innocence of children, and
fight for justice for their victims."
After a four-day trial in U.S. District Court in Jackson,
Blackmon was found guilty on November 30, 2018, of two counts of sex
trafficking minors and two counts of promoting a prostitution business.
In July 2014, an investigation began into a prostitution
ring in the Jackson area led by Willie Charles Blackmon, Jr. The investigation
revealed that Blackmon purchased a runaway minor for $500 and recruited other
runaway minors for prostitution. He rented rooms at local hotels in Jackson and
Vicksburg for days at a time, where the minors engaged in commercial sex acts
with men for money. Blackmon kept most, if not all, of the money earned by the
minors from the sex acts. The evidence showed that Blackmon physically harmed
the minors, and would threaten them by holding a gun to their heads if they did
not perform or if they disrespected him. He also provided drugs to the minors.
The Jackson FBI, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, FBI
New Orleans Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, Clinton PoliceDepartment and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the prostitution
ring which spread throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Arkansas.
Assistant United States Attorneys Glenda R. Haynes and Keith French prosecuted
the case.
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