Oakland man pleads guilty to sex trafficking a minor

FRESNO Calif. - Keynin McGee, 27, of Oakland, pleaded guilty yesterday to sex trafficking a minor in the Eastern District of California, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, McGee met the minor victim in 2021 through Instagram. After months of speaking with her, McGee bought the victim a bus ticket for her to travel to meet him in person. When she arrived, McGee picked the victim up at the bus station, bought her clothing, and took her to a hotel. He then posted photographs of the victim online on a website commonly used to buy and sell sex. McGee then drove the victim to outdoor areas in Oakland and San Francisco known for commercial sex work and instructed her to solicit sex buyers in passing cars. Because of his conduct, the minor victim engaged in commercial sex acts with multiple buyers.

"This guilty plea illustrates the dedicated work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to investigate and stamp out sex trafficking and to hold traffickers accountable," said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. "Protecting vulnerable victims requires sustained collaboration, thorough investigations, and a commitment to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. We will continue working together to identify and support victims and bring to justice those who exploit them."

"Exploiting a child for financial gain is reprehensible and heinous," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "Yesterday's guilty plea of Keynin McGee to sex trafficking of a minor, who he lured to meet him in person then trafficked her for commercial sex in the Oakland and San Francisco areas, reflects our commitment to protecting children from the scourge of sex trafficking. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue and prosecute vile individuals who victimize and traffic minors."

"Keynin McGee reduced his young victim to a commodity to be bought and sold for his own gain," said Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh of FBI Sacramento. "Anyone who seeks to exploit children will face relentless pursuit from the FBI and our law enforcement partners. We will hold traffickers fully accountable for the harm they inflict. Together, we can protect the vulnerable and create a safer future for every child."

The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California and Deputy Chief Leah Branch of the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.

McGee is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Jan. 19, 2027, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.orgLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. Information on the Justice Department's efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.