GALVESTON, Texas - A 33-year-old resident of Sweeny has admitted
he employed sexually-oriented websites advertising three minors as young as 15
for commercial sex, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Joseph Church pleaded guilty today on the first day trial
was set to begin before U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr.
The young girls were induced into posing for pictures used
in online advertisements for sex and engaged in commercial sex acts for money.
Church and others collected all of the money the girls earned. Church
transported victims to commercial sex dates and used motels to harbor the
minors. Cell phone applications were used to monitor the victims and post
on-line advertisements featuring the minors. Church and his co-defendants were
aware that the victims were under the age of 18 when they were caused to engage
in commercial sex.
Church, the leader of the group, was the last of seven to
plead guilty in this case.
Several others have pleaded guilty for their respective
roles on the conspiracy, gun charges, and the posting of the commercial sex ads
- Angela Marks, 25, of Sweeny; Jamaal Crane, 26, of Angleton; Norris Moon, 25,
and Christopher Walton, 24, both of Brazoria; Alisa Kimbler, 26, of Freeport;
and Eric Page, 20 of Sherman.
Church has been detained since his arrest and will remain in
custody until his sentencing scheduled for May 15,2019.
Church faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
Potentially, he could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and serve at least
five years and up to life on supervised release. He will be required to
register as a sex offender.
The FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the
investigation with assistance of sheriff’s offices in Brazoria and Galveston
Counties and police departments in Galveston, Sherman, Wharton, La Marque and the
University of Texas Medical Branch. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri Zack and
Sebastian Edwards prosecuted the case.
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