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“A Canton man was convicted today by a federal jury in Boston of sex trafficking a minor who had been reported missing.
Keion Rowell, 24, was convicted following a four-day jury trial of one count of sex trafficking of a child. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 11, 2023. Rowell was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022.
“Justice was delivered today. Mr. Rowell preyed on a vulnerable 15-year-old girl, grooming her and then trafficking her and pocketing the money. This conduct is despicable and has no place in a civilized society. This prosecution should send an unmistakable message that this office and our law enforcement partners are dedicating all the resources needed to make sure predators like Mr. Rowell will face the full weight of the law,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Sex trafficking causes immeasurable physical and long-term emotional suffering, and this office will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice for the brave survivors.”
“Keion Rowell forced a 15-year-old child into sexual servitude, for his own greed and financial gain,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “While FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force can’t erase the harm he’s done, we’ve made him answer for it. We thank the jury for bringing justice for his victim and ensuring Mr. Rowell can’t claim anymore.”
According to evidence presented at trial, on or about Jan. 18, 2021, Rowell met the 15-year-old victim, who had recently run away from home. Almost immediately, Rowell created and posted numerous online commercial sex advertisements that contained photos of the victim, including nude photos, and told her that she would have to engage in prostitution. Rowell then communicated with sex buyers and sent the victim to meet with those men to have sex in exchange for money he kept. On Jan. 28, 2021, approximately 10 days after the victim had been reported missing, law enforcement participated in an undercover operation to rescue her. When she was recovered, the victim had Rowell’s phone which contained photos of the victim, photos of Rowell and information about his personal bank accounts, links to online advertisements for commercial sex and communications with sex buyers.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
The charge of sex trafficking of a child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston and Belmont Police Departments, as well as the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Tochka are prosecuting the case.”-Massachusetts Department of Justice.
