Senior Citizen in SC Indicted for Federal Sex Crimes
A federal grand jury has indicted a Charleston-area senior citizen for the federal sex crime of child prostitution.
Booker T. Vanderhorst, 65, has been charged with sex trafficking of children, use of interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
The indictment was unsealed on Thursday, April 11th, by the United States Attorney General’s Office. Federal investigators say that Vanderhorst prostituted a minor female he knew to be under the age of 18 between July and October 2012.
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigators arrested Vanderhorst the day the indictment was unsealed.
County court records show that Vanderhorst was arrested on a prostitution charge in 2010.
If convicted, child sex trafficking has a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years; the maximum sentence for federal sex crimes is 25 years. He could also face life in prison if he is convicted of all charges.
Federal Sex Crimes Defense
The sex crime defense attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC provide experienced and effective legal representation. We understand that you are faced with a personal and professional crisis and that your personal and professional reputation and future are at stake.
Whether you have been charged with:
- possession of child pornography
- child molestation
- solicitation of a minor
- Sexual assault
- Prostitution of a minor
Our criminal sexual conduct lawyers are familiar with the system. The Strom Law Firm, LLC understands the implications of a sexual conduct conviction.
Under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, there are three tiers of sex offenders who must register. Tier I offenders must register themselves on a national sex offender registry for 15 years, checking in every year; Tier II must register for 25 years; and Tier III will be registered for life. The act further expands on federal laws to protect children from sex offenders and sexual solicitation, offers child protective grants programs, and other initiatives to prevent and punish sex offenders and others who victimize children.
The act enlarges on federal sex crimes legislation such as the kidnapping statute, increases the number of federal capital offenses, enhances the mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment and other penalties that attend various federal sex offenses, establishes a civil commitment procedure for federal sex offenders, authorizes random searches as a condition for sex offender probation and supervised release, outlaws Internet date drug trafficking, permits the victims of state crimes to participate in related federal habeas corpus proceedings, and eliminates the statute of limitations for certain federal sex crimes and crimes committed against children.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Federal Sex Crime Charges
If you have been charged with a federal sex crime, contact the criminal defense attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC today for a free consultation to discuss the facts of your case. Based in Columbia, SC, our law firm has practiced throughout South Carolina for 16 years, and our federal criminal defense attorneys have a strong understanding of the complexities of federal sex crimes legislation. Contact us today for help. 803.252.4800.
