Baltimore Man Indicted for Alleged Child Sex Trafficking Crimes

Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury indicted a Baltimore man for child sex trafficking crimes.

Deion "Poppa Fetti" Philip, 33, is charged with two counts of sex trafficking of a child and one count of transportation of a minor.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI - Baltimore Field Office, Scott Shellenberger, State's Attorney for Baltimore County, and Acting Superintendent Michael A. Jackson, Maryland State Police (MSP).

According to the indictment, Philip trafficked two minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts for profit. Phillip trafficked one minor victim for several weeks in 2025, and the other minor victim from October to November 2025.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

If convicted, Philip faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for each count of sexual trafficking of a minor.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office, and MSP for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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