On May 13, a federal jury in Tallahassee convicted Constantino Charrez, 27, of Quincy, on the sole count of coercing or enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity.
The conviction, which followed a two-day trial that began on My 12, was announced by Jason R. Coody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Child exploitation is horrendous and affects the most vulnerable members of our communities,”
said Coody. “Through concerted efforts like Operation Stolen Innocence we will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who prey upon our children.”
“The arrests in Operation Stolen Innocence were just the beginning of the process to get justice
for the victims in this case,” said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “I am grateful to see the judicial system work to prosecute those who prey on vulnerable people. When individuals are held accountable for their actions, it reiterates the message that there is no place for human trafficking in our community.”
Charrez’s conviction was the result of a collaborative investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations as part of Operation Stolen Innocence, a multi-agency coordinated effort by the United States Marshal Service, the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Office of State Attorney, 2nd Judicial Circuit to combat human trafficking in the Tallahassee area.
Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven prosecuted this case.
“Operation Stolen Innocence continues to result in making our communities safer and serves as a
premier example of the excellent work being done by Homeland Security Investigations and law enforcement partners like the Tallahassee Police Department,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs.
Charrez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled later this year, on August 24, at 1 p.m., at the United States
Courthouse in Tallahassee before the Honorable Allen Winsor.
Charrez faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years imprisonment to Life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a maximum term of life on supervised release.
