SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon on charges of sex trafficking of a minor.
Michael Anthony Butler Jr., 41, was indicted on October 1 by a federal grand jury for recruiting, harboring and transporting a minor for prostitution, according to the indictment. Butler worked under the aliases of "Spice916" and "Spice" while advertising the prostitution of a minor.
The indictment was unsealed once Butler was arrested.
The FBI worked with the Yuba City Police Department and the Yuba County District Attorney's Office to investigate the case.
If convicted, Butler could face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison with a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was part of a nationwide initiative called Project Safe Childhood to combat child sex abuse and exploitation. The initiative works with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to find and prosecute sex traffickers of minors and rescue the victims of sex trafficking.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and Quinn Hochhalter will prosecute Butler. No date is set yet for the hearing.
One of the violations was for "engaging in unsafe conduct and neglect for basic firearm safety during the incident," according to a press release.
