Bloomington Man Convicted of Trafficking 12 and 16-year-old Girls for Commercial Sex

United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota Andrew M. Luger today announced the trial conviction of LEE ANDREW PAUL, a/k/a “Black,” 35, who was originally indicted on February 17, 2015, in the District of Minnesota, for sex trafficking two minor girls. A superseding indictment subsequently charged PAUL with three counts of sex trafficking. The jury returned a guilty verdict in less than two hours after a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

“Lee Paul is a predator,” said Assistant United States Attorney Melinda A. Williams. “He hunted down vulnerable girls, including a sixth grader, to traffic for commercial sex. He controlled these women and girls through physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. The stories of these girls are difficult to hear and were even more difficult for these victims to recount. We thank the victims who courageously testified at trial and the jury who rendered this just verdict.”

“While no jail sentence is long enough to erase the damage he has done to his victims, today’s verdict will ensure Lee Paul will have years to reflect on the pain and suffering he has caused,” said William Lowder, acting special agent in charge of HSI St. Paul. “Our communities are safer today, as a result of the excellent cooperative efforts in this case of the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Investigations.”

As proven at trial, LEE PAUL is a self-proclaimed “pimp.” During Memorial Day weekend of 2013, PAUL sought out a 12-year-old sixth grader to join his sex trafficking “family.” He lured a 12-year-old and 16-year-old girl to a party at a motel in Rochester, Minn., where he gave them marijuana and alcohol. After the victims became inebriated, PAUL told them he was a pimp and that they would be working for him. PAUL then took the girls to the Twin Cities where they know no one. PAUL sexually assaulted the 16-year-old victim and brutally raped the 12-year-old.

As proven at trial, while at a motel in Maple Grove, Minn., that same weekend, the 16-year-old victim escaped PAUL and found a police officer and reported what had happened to her. However, PAUL had been tipped off that the 16-year-old victim was trying to find the police and PAUL fled the scene. He then directed another victim, this one 19-years-old, to take the 12-year-old victim to Alexandria, Minn., to “show her the ropes.” The 12-year-old was sold two times that that night for sex with men. Law enforcement arrested PAUL on the morning of May 27, 2013, and was in jail pending state charges in Olmsted and Anoka Counties until he made bail on August 26, 2013. PAUL fled in July 2014 on the eve of his Olmsted County trial.

As proven at trial, while on the run, PAUL got rid of his cell phone and shut down his Facebook page to avoid being tracked by law enforcement. He fled first to Chicago, Ill., and then Atlanta, Ga., where he lived under two different assumed identities and used “burner” phones to avoid being tracked by law enforcement. He was arrested on January 14, 2015 by the U.S. Marshals Service and brought back to Minnesota to face federal charges.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal Service, Rochester Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, Pope County Sheriff’s Office and the Maple Grove Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda A. Williams, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Gustafson and U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. The United States Attorney’s Office thanks the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office for its substantial assistance in the prosecution of this case.

Defendant Information:

LEE ANDREW PAUL, a/k/a “Black,” 35
Bloomington, Minn.

Convicted:

• Sex trafficking of a minor, two counts
• Sex trafficking by use of force, fraud and coercion, one count