Man facing federal crimes charges connected to prostitution

A Virginia man is facing serious charges after authorities claim he was involved in the prostitution of a minor. The 20-year-old is a resident of Virginia Beach. He was arrested after allegedly interacting with an undercover police officer who was posing as someone who was shopping online for sexual encounters. He now faces serious federal crimes charges in connection with the incident.

According to police, the young man was forcing an underage girl to engage in prostitution. The acts were allegedly advertised through Backpage, a website that allows users to post international classified ads seeking a wide range of services, not all of which are legal. The minor told authorities that the man had set up other appointments for her to engage in acts of prostitution, or to rob the individual who showed up for those appointments.

The young man has a documented history of criminal acts, including crimes committed when he was a minor. His mother told the court that her son was recently diagnosed with a communicable and potentially fatal disease prior to the court appearance. She also said that he needs to be enrolled in a rehab program, and that he was scheduled to attend rehab after being released from a jail in a different state, but did not show up to begin that program.

The full range of details in this case has not been made public. However, it appears that the young man at the center of the matter has serious issues that need to be addressed. In creating his defense strategy, his attorney may ask the court to compel the Virginia man to attend rehabilitation or mandatory counseling in an effort to reduce the risk of re-offending. Prostitution of a minor is among the most serious of federal crimes, and if convicted, the outcome could include a period of time behind bars.

Source: southsidedaily.com, “Federal judge denies bail for man accused of pimping out 14-year-old girl in Virginia Beach“, Adrienne Marie Mayfield, Dec. 12, 2016