Centreville Man Indicted For Commercial Sex Trafficking Of A Minor

The United States Grand Jury has returned a two-count indictment against Demerous E. Foxworth, 24, of Centreville, Illinois, charging him with Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Use of a Facility of Interstate Commerce to Promote an Unlawful Activity, Acting United States Attorney James L. Porter announced today. The Court ordered that Foxworth be held without bond pending trial after a hearing held today.

The offenses charged in the indictment allege that, from on or about June 1, 2014, to February 28, 2015, Foxworth recruited, enticed, provided and maintained a person knowing that the person had not attained the age of 18 years and knowing that the person would be caused to be engaged in a commercial sex act. The indictment further alleges that from on or about October 1, 2012 to October 10, 2015, Foxworth used a facility of interstate commerce, being the Internet, with the intent to promote, manage, establish, carry on and facilitate an unlawful activity, being illegal prostitution under Illinois law.

A trial date is set for April 4, 2016. If convicted of Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Foxworth faces a term in prison of not less than ten (10) years up to life, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not less than five (5) years up to life. If convicted of Use of a Facility of Interstate Commerce to Promote an Unlawful Activity, Foxworth faces a term in prison of up to five (5) years, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three (3) years.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant that is comprised of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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."

This investigation was conducted by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Louis and Springfield Offices. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers