The defendant, Christopher M. Cockrell, pled guilty to attempted child sex trafficking after an undercover police investigation revealed that the defendant had solicited to have sex with a minor using the internet.
In March 2009, in Amory, Missouri (MO), the defendant responded to an ad on Craigslist.org soliciting the sexual service of a 15 year old girl. The defendant exchanged emails with an undercover police officer, whom he thought was a pimp. Cockrell offered to pay $60.00 to have sex with the minor, and offered an additional $20.00 to have sex without a condom.
This case arose from the investigative efforts of Operation Guardian Angel, a law enforcement investigation targeting the demand for child prostitution in Kansas city, MO metropolitan area.
1st Instance:
Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
Location: Kansas City, MO
Date of decision: July 16, 2009 (guilty plea) and
November 19, 2009 (sentencing)
Reference: Docket Number. 4:09-cr-00080-DW
2nd Instance:
Court: Unknown
Location: Unknown
Date of decision: Unknown
Reference: Docket Number: 10-01015
Traveling For The Purpose of Attempting to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct With a Child.
Attempting To Persuade, Entice, Or Coerce A Minor To Engage In Prostitution.
18 U.S.C. §§ 2423(b), 2423(e), 2426(a)
18 U.S.C. § 2422(b)
No facts are available for the rationale in this Court, but there was a case citation available - docket Number:10-01015.
Mississippi Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of a Child, FBI, Nov. 19 2009, http://www.fbi.gov/kansascity/press-releases/2009/kc111909.htm [FBI press release]
Michigan case display:
http;//www.law.umich.edu/CLINICAL/HUTRAFFICCASES/Pages/CaseDisp.aspx?caseID=542
In this case, the defendant was a potential 'John' seeking sexual services of a minor.
Investigative efforts and sting operation are worth highlighting. According to an FBI press release, Operation Guardian Angel focuses on the demand for child sex trafficking. In 2009, during the weekend of March 5th-7th, "the Human Trafficking Rescue Project, led by the Independence Police Department, conducted a sting operation targeting local customers who solicit pimps to engage in commercial sex acts with children. The çhildren were advertised online at Craigslist.org. No real children were actually involved in the sting operation." The significant of this investigative operation is described in an FBI press release stating:
Operation Guardian Angel was conducted by the Human Trafficking Rescue project, a joint task force from the independence Police Department, the FBI, ICE and the Kansas City, MO., Police Department. During the undervover operation, task force officers placed internet ads for underage prostituted. According to court documents, the ads clearly stated the prostitutes were "little girls" and were "young." Those who responded to the ads were given direction to an undercover location that was outfitted with audio and video recording equipment. When they arrived at the undercover residence and paid cash for a child prostitute, they were arrested by task force officers.
"This operation marks the first time that the United States Department of Justice has utilized the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to prosecute customers who allegedly attempt to pay for sex with children. While the pimps who offer to sell children to others for prostitution have been prosecuted in the Western District and elsewhere, these inditctments are the first in the nation to charge a John with attepting to pay for sex with a child." (See the FBI press release below)