SANTA ANA, California – A Stockton man was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison for transporting a teenage girl from Southern California to Nevada and Arizona so she could work as a prostitute for his financial benefit.
Christian Alexander Augustus, 26, a.k.a. “Sir Ceeco” and “Ceeco,” was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna.
Augustus pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and criminal sexual activity.
From December 2018 to July 2019, Augustus directed the transportation of the victim from Los Angeles and Orange counties to locations – including Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix – in order for her to work as a prostitute to obtain money for him.
Augustus forced the victim to work on the streets and advertised her services on the internet. He also admitted that he collected the money the victim obtained by committing commercial sex acts.
“[Augustus’] egregious conduct victimized a minor by causing her to engage in sex with unknown customers purely for defendant’s financial benefit,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “The seriousness of the offense is furthered by [Augustus’] used of violence in this case. [Augustus] was repeatedly violent with the minor victim in order to maintain the control needed to continue to have the minor victim work for his financial benefit.”
The Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of local law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Nare of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.