SANTA ANA, California – A Stockton man pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge accusing him of transporting a teenage girl from Southern California to Nevada and Arizona so she could work as a prostitute for his financial benefit.
Christian Alexander Augustus, 25, a.k.a. “Sir Ceeco,” pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and criminal sexual activity.
According to his plea agreement, in April 2019, Augustus willfully caused a teenage girl to be transported from Los Angeles County to Las Vegas with the intent that she would engage in prostitution and other criminal sexual activity.
More specifically, from December 2018 to July 2019, Augustus directed the transportation of the victim from Los Angeles and Orange counties to locations – including Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix – in order for her to work as a prostitute to obtain money for him.
Augustus admitted to forcing the victim to work on the streets and advertising her services on the internet. He also admitted that he collected the money the victim obtained by committing commercial sex acts.
United States District Judge James V. Selna has scheduled a November 29 sentencing hearing, at which time Augustus will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of local law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Nare of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
The core mission of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force is using a victim-centered and trauma-informed approach toward the goal of combating human trafficking in Orange County, making the recovery of juvenile victims its top priority.
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