Sex Offender Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Charges

TUCSON, Ariz. - Maurice Fitzgerald Alexander, Jr., 33, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 40 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release.

Earlier this year, Alexander was convicted by a federal jury after a three-day trial of Sex Trafficking of a Minor by Force, Fraud, or Coercion. The jury also found Alexander guilty of one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor Using Force, Fraud, or Coercion, one count of Transportation with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, and one count of Production of Child Pornography. At the time of the offense, Alexander was already required to register as a sex offender.

On October 4, 2021, officers from the Tucson Police Department responded to a 911 call from the victim and learned she had possibly been trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. A Tucson Police detective quickly responded to a local hospital and immediately initiated an investigation. The investigation revealed that Alexander trafficked the victim, who was 14 years old at the time, through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado between August 19, 2021, and October 4, 2021. Department of Homeland Security Special Agents and Task Force Officers arrested Alexander in Tucson on October 21, 2021. A subsequent review of Alexander's phone showed that Alexander also forced the minor victim to create photos and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct that were later used in advertisements on social media and various other websites commonly used for prostitution.

The Tucson Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathaniel J. Walters and Monica E. Ryan, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER: CR-21-02972-JAS-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-114_Alexander

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