Minneapolis man sentenced to 12 ½ years in prison for sex trafficking 14-year-old girl in hotels

A Minneapolis man has received a 12½-year prison term for sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl at a Bloomington hotel.

Charles William Dexter III, 42, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul after pleading guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. Dexter's sentence includes 15 years of supervision upon his release from custody.

The prison time imposed by Judge Susan Richard Nelson was above the federal sentencing guidelines range of nine to 11¼ years.

During three days in August 2020, Dexter arranged for commercial sex acts with the girl using online advertisements, including ads posted on Megapersonals, to take place at hotels in Bloomington, according to his guilty plea. He collected half of the proceeds from each appointment.

Law enforcement seized nearly $1,600, a stolen handgun and a cellphone from Dexter's home a few days later, according to court records.

Jamie Holt, St. Paul special agent in charge with Homeland Security Investigations, said in a statement following Tuesday's sentencing that "our agents will continue to focus on fostering safer communities by protecting and supporting sex-trafficking victims and bringing people like Dexter to justice."

In his own statement, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger pointed out that President Joe Biden has proclaimed January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and added, "Cases such as this represent our ongoing commitment to investigating and prosecuting those who exploit human beings, and in this case minor victims, for financial gain."

On Aug. 14, 2020, an undercover Bloomington police officer texted and called a phone number in the ad and arranged to meet a girl for what she thought would be a session for sex. He said he was bringing $400 with him.

Officers at the hotel saw two females, "briskly leaving ... on foot," the complaint read.

The officers spoke with both females, and the 14-year-old said through tears that she met Dexter at a bus stop a couple of months ago. He took her to the hotel and explained to her that she would be involved in a commercial sex act and then would give him half the money.

The girl also said that Dexter sexually assaulted her about five times, once while keeping a tight grip on her neck to the point that "she became dizzy and could not breathe," according to the complaint.