New York Man Charged With Child Sex Trafficking

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Criminal Information was filed today charging a Brooklyn, New York man with sex trafficking of a minor.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the Information alleges that Clinton Hayden a/k/a “Showtime,” age 28, recruited, enticed, and transported two minors from Wilkes-Barre to New York to engage in commercial sex acts between May and December of this year.  Hayden was taken into custody on December 3, 2015 in Jersey City, N.J. 

The government also filed a plea agreement in the case which is subject to the approval of the court.

The charge stems from an investigation by agents of Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police.

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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

If convicted, Hayden faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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