A jury found a Little Rock man guilty of sex trafficking and the distribution and production of child pornography.
According to a March 30 news release issued by the Department of Justice, 27-year-old KeShawn Boykins was found guilty on the four counts for which he was indicted, including two counts of sex trafficking, distribution of child pornography and production of child pornography.
“This defendant physically abused his victims in order to maintain control over them and profit from the sexual acts he forced them to perform," U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross said. "Today’s verdict sends a clear message to those who engage in these violent acts: you will be caught, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent available to us under federal law.”
Testimony shared during the trial said that in October 2018, a 19-year-old woman told an employee at a Walmart in Arkansas that she needed help escaping from the man she was with. The woman had reportedly been expulsed from her parents house and had met the defendant days before and exchanged phone numbers with him. Boykins told her she should live with him, according to the release.
The Department of Justice reported the woman arrived at Boykins' apartment and learned he lived with another adult woman and a 17-year-old girl. Boykins reportedly made the 19-year-old woman an online profile and set up two encounters for her and that she was expected to have sex with the dates. When she protested, Boykins reportedly "threw her on the floor, chiken her and continued to physically abuse her," the release reported.
During the trial, the 17-year-old testified Boykins regularly arranged these dates for her and would beat her if she came back with less money than expected. Additionally, he took sexually explicit photos of both women, leading to the child pornography charges since the one woman is a minor.
“Mr. Boykins produced child sexual abuse material and lured a vulnerable minor into the reprehensible world of sex trafficking," James A. Dawson, FBI special agent-in-charge, said. "His abominable actions highlight the pervasive threat Arkansas children and families face on a daily basis. FBI Little Rock will continue to work with our local police partners and federal prosecutors to protect our communities from vile child predators.”
