Jacksonville Gang Member Sentenced To More Than Twelve Years For Selling A Child For Sex

Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Antwan Harper, a/k/a “Pappy” (22, Jacksonville) to 12 years and 6 months in federal prison for sex trafficking a child. The Court also ordered him to serve a five-year term of supervision after his release from prison, and to register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty on November 10, 2016.

According to court documents, in December 2015, Harper met a 15-year-old girl and advertised her for prostitution on the Internet. He accepted payment for the girl to perform sexual acts with his associates and fellow gang members. Harper is a documented member of the PYC street gang. On December 18, 2015, he was arrested and the victim was recovered by law enforcement.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.