United States Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña
Northern District of Texas

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2012
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

GARLAND, TEXAS MAN SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS N FEDERAL PRISON
FOR TRAVELING WITH INTENT TO ENGAGE IN ILLICIT SEXUAL CONDUCT

Testimony Reveals Defendant’s History Exploiting Women

DALLAS — Kenzie Nelson, 31, of Garland, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Nelson, who is in custody, pleaded guilty in October 2011 to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

At this morning’s hearing, a prior victim of Nelson’s testified that she had been prostituted by the defendant, and had received numerous scars and injuries at his hands. Speaking directly to the victim in the pending case, she stated that Nelson did horrible things to women and that she should never believe that it was her fault. After hearing about Nelson’s history exploiting women, including the 13-year old female in this case, Judge Kinkeade imposed sentence, departing upward from the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Following Nelson’s release from prison, he will have to register as a sex offender.

In plea documents filed, Nelson admitted that in December 2010 he drove from Dallas to McAlester, Oklahoma with a female minor, with the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with her. Once in McAlester, Nelson paid for a motel room where they engaged in sexual acts. The next day, Nelson drove her back to Dallas and left her at a grocery store.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Irving Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Schall prosecuted.

###