Canton Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking 15-Year-Old

BOSTON – A Canton man was sentenced today for sex trafficking a minor who had been reported missing.

Keion Rowell, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In September 2023, Rowell was convicted by a federal jury of one count of sex trafficking of a child. 

“Mr. Rowell inflicted severe trauma on a vulnerable young life. Today’s sentence ensures that this dangerous man will be removed from our community for a very long time,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “As we close Human Trafficking Prevention Month, this case serves as a stark reminder that this insidious crime preys on the most vulnerable victims. Our office will work tirelessly to combat human trafficking and ensure that our communities are safe and that even the most vulnerable can live without fear of exploitation or harm.”

“The cruelty and inhumanity displayed by Keion Rowell is staggering. He forced a child into sexual servitude, unleashing physical and emotional abuse even as he profited from that child's exploitation,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Every day, children are being sexually exploited and traumatized in our area, and across the country. FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force will never stop working to find and free trafficked children and ensure those responsible are brought to justice. We ask anyone with knowledge of child sex trafficking to let us know about it. Dial 1-800-CALL-FBI or go online to tips.fbi.gov.”

On or about Jan. 18, 2021, Rowell met the 15-year-old victim, who had recently run away from home. Almost immediately, Rowell created and posted numerous online commercial sex advertisements that contained photos of the victim, including nude photos, and told her that she would have to engage in prostitution. Rowell then communicated with sex buyers and sent the victim to meet with those men to have sex in exchange for money he kept. On one occasion, when the victim did not make enough money to satisfy Rowell’s demands, he punched her in the face. 

On Jan. 28, 2021, approximately 10 days after the victim had been reported missing, law enforcement participated in an undercover operation to rescue her. When she was recovered, the victim had Rowell’s phone which contained photos of the victim and Rowell, information about his personal bank accounts, links to online advertisements for commercial sex and communications with sex buyers. 

If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office; the Boston and Belmont Police Departments; and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Tochka prosecuted the case.