Chula Vista Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 14, 2023

SAN DIEGO – Keenon Green, who used social media to try to recruit someone he believed was a 16-year-old female into prostitution, was sentenced today in federal court to144 months in prison.

A jury convicted Green of Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children and Attempted Enticement of a Minor after a three-day jury trial in February.

According to evidence presented at trial, from December 16, 2021, to January 14, 2022, Green used Instagram direct messages and cell phone text messages to lure into prostitution a social media user he knew as “Lexi,” who told him she was 16 years old. 

Green promised to provide protection for Lexi on “the blade,” a slang term that refers to an area where prostitutes/sex workers solicit sex-buyers. He also promised to get her a false identification and post commercial sex advertisements for her online.  He assured her that she could “charge 350 a hour and only be in there 30 mins max.”  He even offered to teach her how to drive. And in return, he expected Lexi to earn $500 a night as a prostitute, and $1,000 a night if they were out of town.

When Lexi finally agreed, he arranged to pick her up at a local park and planned to take her to Orange County to work on “the blade.”  Showing his intent to follow through on that plan, he arrived at the meeting location with feminine items in the trunk of his vehicle, including hair products and a bottle of Vagisil.  However, Lexi was not a 16-year-old female, but an undercover officer with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, and he was greeted by law enforcement and immediately arrested. 

Evidence presented at trial, and also discussed at the sentencing hearing, demonstrated that Green’s pimping activity was not just aspirational. Post-arrest, he admitted he “ran” seven to nine other women and had earned tens of thousands of dollars, bragging that he “lives off the earnings of a prostitute.” Instagram records showed that at the same time he was enticing Lexi to work for him as a prostitute, he was attempting to recruit multiple other women on Instagram, telling them that their “anatomy is the most valuable thing on this earth” and that he could help them “use it wisely.” Green also was not above using violence and threats of violence to keep his prostitutes in line. In an audio message presented at sentencing, Green repeatedly threatened one woman who was working for him as a prostitute, screaming that he would “break [her] fucking jaw,” “beat the shit out of [her],” “stomp a fucking mudhole in [her],” and “play games with [her] face.”

“The sentence imposed today recognizes the severity of the crime for which Mr. Green has been convicted,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman.  “Fortunately, proactive efforts by our law enforcement partners identified Mr. Green as someone willing to exploit the most vulnerable members of our society for nothing more than his own financial gain. This case should serve as a clear warning that law enforcement will not tolerate these crimes and will do everything in our power to protect children in our communities.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team, the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for their excellent work on this case.

“Today’s announcement is a result of strong partnerships by law enforcement agencies uniting to put a stop sexual violence and exploitation,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that those who engage in sex trafficking and target vulnerable youth in our communities will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I want to thank my team with the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for their collaboration in making California a safer place. When we work together, we get results. Protecting public safety is our highest priority and we won’t rest until the job is done.”

“Sex traffickers typically prey on and sexually exploit the most vulnerable population; fortunately, in this case, the defendant was speaking to a law enforcement officer – not a 16-year-old girl,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “HSI is committed to using proactive efforts to target and prevent sex trafficking offenses. Together, we can more effectively eradicate this vile criminal activity from the community.”

“The Sheriff’s Department is proud of the collaborative efforts by all involved in this investigation and prosecution. This teamwork is vitally important in targeting the people involved in this type of criminal behavior. The department is committed to these partnerships as we continue in our efforts to prevent these crimes from occurring.”

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 22-cr-187-CAB                               

Keenon Green                                                 Age: 35                       Chula Vista                            

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1591(a)

Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine, with 10-year mandatory minimum

Attempted Enticement of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2422(b)

Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine, with 10-year mandatory minimum

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

Homeland Security Investigations

San Diego Sheriff’s Department

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section.  Formed in 2019, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.