A Boston man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Worcester to charges of child exploitation, U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy’s office announced.
Jalen Latimer, 26, of Roxbury, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. He remains in state custody on related charges and was previously indicted on Feb. 16, 2024, Levy’s office said in a statement.
In July 2022, Latimer caused two children to engage in sexually explicit conduct to make child sexual abuse material, according to the statement. A year later, he and another person conspired to sexually abuse a child.
Latimer was arrested in February 2024 and faces charges in Worcester Superior Court of rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child, human trafficking of a minor and representation of a minor in sexual conduct, Levy’s office said.
U.S. District Court Judge Margaret Guzman scheduled Latimer’s sentencing for March 18, 2025.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, up to life on probation and a $250,000 fine. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking carries a penalty of up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was “filed as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual abuse and exploitation, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice,” Levy’s office said.