Man Sentenced For Trafficking, Having Sex With A Minor

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD – A Washington, D.C., man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor and for having sex with a 15-year-old girl in exchange for money. The Anne Arundel County Police Department was involved in the investigation and the capture of the man occurred at an Odenton restaurant.

Leon R. Harrison, 56, must register as a sex offender where he resides, where he is an employee and where he is a student in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

“Children cannot consent to have sex for money, and any adult, like this defendant, who encourages or profits from sexual exploitation of children faces a lengthy term in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur.

According to Harrison’s plea agreement, between Aug. 9, 2016, and Feb. 7, 2018, Harrison used his Facebook account to send messages to hundreds of other Facebook users, offering them money in exchange for sending him sexually explicit pictures, watching him engage in sexual activities and meeting with him in person to engage in commercial sex. Several Facebook users told Harrison that they were under 18 years old, and as young as 12 years old. Harrison continued to make the requests even after they stated that they were minors, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland disclosed.

Harrison admitted that he met Girl 1 online and began engaging in commercial sex with Girl 1 beginning in 2016 or 2017, when she would have been 13 or 14 years old. On Oct. 9, 2017, Harrison and Girl 1 reconnected on Facebook, after a period of not communicating with each other. Between Oct. 9, 2017, and Feb. 7, 2018, Harrison and Girl 1 exchanged hundreds of messages over Facebook. At that time, Girl 1 was at a 15-year-old 10th grade student in Maryland. In the messages, Harrison repeatedly offered to pay Girl 1 in exchange for having sex with him. In 12 instances, Harrison offered her between $40 and $60 for sex, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported.

On Feb. 6, 2018, Girl 1’s mother discovered the Facebook messages and contacted the police. That day, an undercover police detective began operating Girl 1’s Facebook account. On Feb. 7, 2018, Harrison continued communicating with Girl 1’s Facebook account. Harrison stated that he would meet with Girl 1 that evening, and that he would bring money and condoms. Harrison stated he would pay Girl 1 $50 to have sex with him and made arrangements to meet with Girl 1 at a restaurant in Odenton, Maryland. Harrison agreed that he would get Girl 1 home before 1 a.m. because it was a “school night.” Harrison described the sex acts he wished to engage in with Girl 1 and what he wanted her to wear when they met. Harrison also asked to engage in sexual contact with Girl 1 without a condom.

When he arrived at the restaurant, Harrison had condoms, $50 in cash, and two 50ml bottles of flavored vodka in his pants pockets. Harrison was arrested in the parking lot. Following his arrest, Harrison was interviewed by law enforcement officers and admitted that he is HIV-positive, and that he does not disclose that fact to his sexual partners.