Minnesota man sentenced in North Dakota for sex trafficking young girl
FARGO, N.D. — A Minnesota man was sentenced Monday to 14 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl.
This sentence resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Fargo (North Dakota) Police Department.
Anthony Lamarr Sims, 21, aka “Mar Mar,” of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison on one count of sex trafficking children.
“For predators convicted of the horrendous crime of sex trafficking minors, there are severe consequences in the form of lengthy prison sentences, as Mr. Sims has learned firsthand,” said Special Agent in Charge Alex Khu of HSI St. Paul. “This investigation, conviction and lengthy prison sentence resulted from the excellent relationship between HSI special agents and local police officers which routinely work together to keep communities safe.”
This case came to the attention of law enforcement after a Fargo police officer encountered the 15-year-old victim during a traffic stop on Jan.16, 2015. At the time, the victim provided a false name to law enforcement. The victim was then transferred to the Cass County (Minnesota) Jail. Afterwards, law enforcement discovered she was a runaway from St. Paul, Minnesota. A subsequent investigation revealed that Sims had brought the victim from Minneapolis to Fargo for the purpose of prostitution. Before he traveled to Fargo, Sims directed another individual to post an ad on Backpage.com advertising that the girl was available for commercial sex.
Sims’s prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release; and he was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.
For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.
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