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Keion Rowell was convicted of sex trafficking of a child on Thursday, Sept. 14, following a four-day trial, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.
Rowell met the girl in January 2021. She was a runaway, and he preyed on her vulnerability, the prosecutor said. Rowell turned her into a prostitute and posted multiple ads online — some included nude photos of the child — offering sex in exchange for cash, authorities continued. He kept the money for himself.
Police rescued the girl in an undercover sting operation 10 days after she met Rowell. When they found her, she had his phone, which included nude photos of the teenager, Rowell's bank information, and conversations with men who had responded to the ads he posted, federal officials said.
Rowell was arrested and charged in April 2022.
“The facts alleged in this case are gut-wrenching,” said the then Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston office Joseph Bonavolonta. “No person, let alone a child, should ever be treated as a commodity.”
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