BATON ROUGE, LA - U.S. Attorney Walt Green, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey S. Sallet of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Orleans Division announced today that KELLIE M. DOMINIQUE, age 37, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Shelly D. Dick to 16 years in prison for conspiring to commit sex trafficking of a minor, followed by 5 years of supervised release. DOMINIQUE was also ordered to pay the victim $15,000 in restitution and to forfeit $15,000 in illegal proceeds from the offense.
At her guilty plea hearing, Dominique admitted that from June 2013 until September 2013, she conspired with others to promote the prostitution of a minor female out of Dominique’s home and other venues. In order to manage and carry on the prostitution business, Dominique admitted that she and the minor female regularly used telephones to schedule prostitution sessions and to discuss the proceeds earned from the prostitution sessions. Dominique also admitted that she facilitated the minor female’s posts on Backpage.com classified advertisements for commercial sex acts in Louisiana and elsewhere. Dominique further admitted that she provided the minor female with illegal drugs and used such drugs with the minor female. Finally, when authorities began to investigate her illegal conduct, Dominique made false statements to government officials and corruptly influenced potential witnesses.
Four others have been convicted in related cases in the Middle District of Louisiana, including Jeremie Tate, 34, of Zachery, Louisiana, who was sentenced in September 2015 to serve 115 months in prison for operating an interstate prostitution enterprise.
U.S. Attorney Green stated: “Today’s sentence should send a loud and clear message about the severe and real consequences that face those convicted in federal court of sexually trafficking minors. Our office is strongly committed to aggressively pursuing these offenders with our federal, state, and local partners, both through federal prosecutions and our leadership on the Middle District of Louisiana Human Trafficking Task Force. I commend the outstanding efforts of the prosecutors and agents who worked on this very important matter."
FBI SAC Sallet stated: “Human Trafficking is an ever present threat that warrants our daily attention and law enforcement expertise. This sentence shows the severity of the crime and magnitude of Human Trafficking throughout the nation. Through federal, state and local law enforcement collaboration we are better able to confront and investigate this crime and its threat to our children."
The FBI’s Baton Rouge Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, the Louisiana State Police and the East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the Baton Rouge Police Department’s Narcotics Division, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and other law enforcement agencies.
Trial Attorney Reginald E. Jones of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie A. Flowers Jr. of the Middle District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
