Dover Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor

            CONCORD –Tyler Townsend, 28, of Dover pled guilty in federal court on Friday to one count of sex trafficking of a minor, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, Townsend posted online advertisements offering a minor female for commercial sex on a now-defunct website in 2017.  The online account used to post the advertisements was linked to Townsend through email and phone records.  Townsend often dealt directly with the individuals who responded to the advertisements, negotiating terms and discussing prices.  He also frequently accompanied the minor female and collected the money that was paid by the individuals in exchange for sex with the minor female.

           Townsend is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19, 2022.

           The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Dover Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kasey Weiland and Anna Dronzek.

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