Louisiana Woman Indicted For Child Sex Trafficking

WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging a Louisiana woman with offenses related to her sex trafficking of a minor, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney J. Walter Green of the Middle District of Louisiana and Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Anderson of the FBI New Orleans Division.

Kellie M. Dominique, 36, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was indicted today for sex trafficking of a minor, attempted sex trafficking of a minor, obstruction of justice and four counts of use of an interstate facility in aid of racketeering.

According to the indictment, Dominique allegedly promoted a prostitution business out of her home and other venues in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  The indictment alleges that a minor worked as a prostitute for Dominique, and that, to promote Dominique’s prostitution business, the minor and others allegedly used the website “backpage.com” to post classified advertisements for commercial sex acts.

The charges and allegations in an indictment are merely accusations.  A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the FBI New Orleans Division, Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, Louisiana State Police and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Baton Rouge Police Department’s Narcotics Division, the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and other law enforcement agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Reginald E. Jones of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie A. Flowers Jr. of the Middle District of Louisiana.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.