Cincinnati man pleads guilty to sex trafficking missing teen

CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to sex trafficking a missing teen girl.

As part of his plea, Payton Jamar Brown, 26, will forfeit his home on Niagara Street in Cincinnati. Proceeds of the sale of the home will be given to Brown’s victim.

According to court documents, from June until October 2022 and again in February 2023, Brown sex trafficked the teenaged girl.

Brown met the victim online and began a relationship with her. The victim began to reside with Brown, who created prostitution advertisements of her. Brown would transport the victim to hotels for prostitution dates that he had arranged. Brown arranged at least 40 prostitution dates in this timeframe and collected the proceeds from the victim.

In October 2022, Colerain police officers responded to Brown’s residence and recovered the victim, who was subsequently taken to a juvenile facility in another state.

In February 2023, the juvenile escaped the facility and messaged Brown on Instagram to pick her up. Brown drove interstate to pick up the victim and her friend and bring them to his residence. Brown again created a prostitution advertisement of the victim and arranged sexual encounters with other men for money.

Throughout his time with the victim, Brown would regularly engage in sex acts with the minor and record those acts with a cell phone. He would then sell the photos and videos to others online.

Brown was arrested by the FBI in February 2023.

Parties involved have recommended a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III; and members of the Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations (RECI) task force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.

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