PROVIDENCE — A federal jury has found Justin Duffer, 36, guilty of attempted sex trafficking of a child, following a multi-day trial in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. According to evidence presented at trial, Duffer responded to an online advertisement and communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as an intermediary. During these communications, Duffer agreed to pay for a commercial sex act involving a person he believed to be under the age of 14 and traveled to a meeting location, where he paid an undercover officer $120 in cash before being arrested. “There is no acceptable circumstance in which a child becomes something to be bought, sold, or sexually exploited,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “Justin Duffer believed he was paying for sexual access to a child and took concrete steps to make that happen. Protecting children from those who seek to exploit them is among the most serious responsibilities we have, and we will continue to pursue those who fuel the demand for child sex trafficking.”
“Duffer arrived at a hotel with cash in hand, fully prepared to pay to sexually abuse an innocent child. Fortunately, instead of a child, special agents and police detectives were waiting for him. Now, a jury has found him guilty and he’s off the streets and facing serious prison time,” said Homeland Security Investigations New England Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming. “Our work relies on the expertise of our law enforcement partners like the Warwick Police Department, whose local knowledge and skill helps bring cases like this to fruition. Together, we’re working to keep children safe and bring predators to justice.”
Duffer is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2027. He was permitted to remain on release pending sentencing. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release, and applicable mandatory special assessments. The sentence will be determined by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor Dean and Lee H. Vilker.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Warwick Police Department, and the Rhode Island State Police ICAC Task Force.