LOS ANGELES– A Sacramento man was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison today for producing child pornography that was used to advertise the victim as a prostitute.

Antonio Dickerson, 26, was found guilty in February by a federal jury of one count of sexual exploitation of a minor for production of child pornography.

Previously in this case, Dickerson's co-defendant – D'Antoine Thomas, 26, also of Sacramento – pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor. Thomas was sentenced by Judge Wilson in March to seven years in federal prison.

The victim in the case was 16 when she met Thomas in Sacramento in 2010.  She soon started working for Thomas as a prostitute in Northern California. In April 2011, Dickerson transported Thomas, the victim and another prostitute to Orange County. During this trip, Dickerson directed the 16-year-old victim and another prostitute to simulate sex acts, which he photographed and posted on a website to advertise prostitution services involving the girls.

Dickerson also directed the victim and another 16-year old girl to engage in commercial sex acts, according to the sentencing papers filed by prosecutors, which noted that Dickerson was well aware of the victim's age, but he “didn't care” how old she was.

“No child should be subjected to this type of exploitation,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “This defendant's criminal conduct demeaned his child victim, caused the victim harm each time one of the images appeared on the Internet, and was used to further promote illegal sex trafficking.”

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Sheriff's Department.

USAO – California, Central

Topic: Project Safe ChildhoodUpdated May 2, 2016

Central District of California DOJ / 19-094 / May 02, 2016