James E. Coleman, 29, from the District of Columbia, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for trafficking a 14-year-old victim from Virginia in 2020. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro made the announcement regarding Coleman's conviction for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child, production of child pornography, and first-degree child sexual abuse.
Coleman entered a guilty plea on May 17, 2022. In addition to the prison sentence handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss, Coleman is required to serve 15 years of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and pay $25,000 in restitution to the victim.
Court documents revealed that Coleman collaborated with an accomplice with the intention of trafficking the minor for commercial sex purposes. Beginning June 30, 2020, he captured sexually explicit images and videos of the victim to advertise her on websites offering commercial sex services.
He instructed the victim on pricing her sexual services based on time spent with clients and collected payments from these transactions. To deceive clients about her age if questioned, Coleman directed her to claim she was 21 years old.
Coleman recorded himself engaging in sexual acts with the victim using his cell phone. In July 2020, when she refused his demand for money, he physically assaulted her using a broomstick and knife before leaving her unclothed in his building's hallway.
Following his arrest by U.S. Marshals on October 22, 2020, Coleman has remained in custody without bond.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Angela Buckner.
This prosecution forms part of Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative established in February 2006 aimed at safeguarding children from online exploitation and abuse through collaboration among federal, state, and local resources to apprehend offenders while identifying victims. More information can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
