HSI Tucson Case Sends Sex Offender to Prison for 40 Years for Sex Trafficking Charges

TUCSON, Ariz. — A convicted sex offender was sentenced Aug. 14 to 40 years in prison followed by lifetime supervised release for his involvement in sex trafficking in Arizona. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation with assistance from the Tucson Police Department.

“This lengthy sentence is a result of countless investigative hours spent on this repeat sex offender who will now spend 40 years in prison for preying upon women and profiting from their exploitation and dehumanization,” said HSI Arizona Special Agent in Charge Fransisco B. Burrola. “HSI is committed to protecting our community and is most successful when we partner with other law enforcement agencies. I want to thank everyone that assisted in success of this investigation.”

Earlier this year, Maurice Fitzgerald Alexander Jr., 33, of Memphis, Tennessee, was convicted by a federal jury after a three-day trial of sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion. The jury also found Alexander guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor using force, fraud or coercion; one count of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one count of production of child pornography. At the time of the offense, Alexander was already required to register as a sex offender.

On Oct. 4, 2021, officers from the Tucson Police Department responded to a 911 call from the victim and learned she had possibly been trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. A Tucson Police detective working as a HSI task force officer quickly responded to a local hospital and immediately initiated an investigation. The investigation revealed that Alexander trafficked the victim, who was 14 years old at the time, through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Colorado between Aug. 19, 2021, and Oct. 4, 2021. HSI special agents and task force officers arrested Alexander in Tucson Oct. 21, 2021. A subsequent review of Alexander’s phone showed that he forced the minor victim to create photos and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct that were later used in advertisements on social media and various other websites commonly used for prostitution.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Arizona in Tucson Nathaniel J. Walters and Monica E. Ryans handled the prosecution.

HSI is a global leader in the fight against child exploitation. Last year, HSI special agents dedicated 1.2 million case hours toward investigating child exploitation. This heinous crime harms the most vulnerable in our society: our kids. As technology evolves and more people have access to the internet, children are at a greater risk than ever. HSI’s special agents and analysts around the world are dedicated to countering this threat.

Report suspected child exploitation to the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP or through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website.