VIRGINIA – A Virginia man faces up to life in prison after being convicted of sex trafficking children and several other offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Marcus Keon Ruffin, 36, of Petersburg, was convicted of sex trafficking children, transporting a minor for prostitution, production of child sexual abuse material, distribution of child sexual abuse material, sex trafficking by fraud or coercion, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
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Court records and evidence presented at trial show Ruffin recruited women and girls, including minors, to work as commercial sex workers. Prosecutors say Ruffin contacted victims online or through other victims, offering weekly income and, at times, an upfront payment. Evidence shows he paid victims only a small portion of what he promised.
Ruffin paid for transportation, including by train or Lyft, for multiple minor victims to travel to the Richmond area to engage in prostitution. He demanded that victims send him nude or sexually explicit images and videos, which he then distributed online to advertise them as sex workers.
On Nov. 30, 2024, Chesterfield County police arrested Ruffin on a state firearms charge during a traffic stop. Officers found a handgun in Ruffin’s jacket. As a previously convicted felon, Ruffin cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Ruffin is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 16. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.