North Texas man sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for racketeering, cyberstalking and promoting prostitution

DALLAS — A North Texas man was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 13 years in federal prison for promoting prostitution, cyberstalking and firearms offenses.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. This case was investigated by: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the North Texas Trafficking Taskforce; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Joshua William Jackson, 29, from Wichita Falls, Texas, pleaded guilty in January to one count of using a facility of interstate commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise, one count of illegally receiving a firearm by a person under indictment, and one count of cyberstalking. Jackson has been in custody since his arrest in April 2016.

According to plea documents filed in the case, in November 2013 Jackson began promoting “V.N.,” an 18-year-old female, in prostitution. Jackson posted commercial sex ads on sex-based websites such as Backpage.com, and Jackson communicated with commercial sex customers.  Jackson benefitted financially from V.N.’s commercial sex activities.  V.N. continued to engage in commercial sex acts at the direction of Jackson until November 2015, when she terminated their relationship.

In January 2016, V.N. moved into her parents’ home. Shortly after she moved in with her family, Jackson began posting commercial sex ads on Backpage.com for V.N. He posted such ads between Jan. 22 and March 27, 2016, without her knowledge or permission. These ads contained photos of V.N., as well as V.N.’s parents’ address and Jackson’s cellphone number. Jackson, posing as V.N., communicated with commercial sex customers, and told them to go to her parents’ house where she would engage in commercial sex acts with them. Multiple men went to V.N.’s parents’ house with the intent to have sex with V.N.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cara Pierce, Northern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.