LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A Little Rock man has been convicted by a federal jury of sex trafficking and child porn after a 19-year-old woman he trafficked asked Walmart employees for help escaping him.
In October 2018, the 19-year-old woman said she had met KeShawn Boykins, who was 24 at the time, less than a week before and had exchanged numbers. After being kicked out of her parent's home, Boykins offered his place for her to stay, and she agreed.
According to testimony in court, the woman arrived at Boykins' apartment and learned a 17-year-old girl was living there along with an adult woman, and others.
Two days after the 19-year-old moved in, Boykins made an account with her pictures on a dating app and told her that she had "two dinners" that he set up for her to attend.
The 17-year-old girl told her that she would be expected to exchange sex for money at those "dinners."
The 19-year-old, identified during the trial as H.E., testified that when she told Boykins that she didn't want to go, he threw her on the floor, choked her, and "continued to physically abuse her," the US District Attorney for Eastern Arkansas said in a statement.
Evidence at the trial showed several messages of Boykins arranging his victims to have sex with people.
“This defendant physically abused his victims in order to maintain control over them and profit from the sexual acts he forced them to perform,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
The federal jury found Boykins guilty on all four counts for which he was indicted: two counts of sex trafficking, distribution of child pornography, and production of child pornography.
Boykins sent sexually explicit photos of both women, including the 17-year-old minor, while attempting to set up dates. The photos of her were taken when she was a minor, which led to Boykins’ conviction on the child pornography charges.
“Mr. Boykins produced child sexual abuse material and lured a vulnerable minor into the reprehensible world of sex trafficking,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson.
“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.”
Sex trafficking convictions can range from not less than 15 years imprisonment to up to life imprisonment. The penalty for the distribution of child pornography is no less than five years and not more than 20 years imprisonment.
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.