A 52-year-old Woodbury man was sentenced in federal court today, Jan. 13, for the sex trafficking of a 15-year-old girl and interstate transportation of an adult for purposes of prostitution.

In August, Stevon Warren, 52, was convicted of one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of interstate transportation to engage in prostitution.

U.S. District Court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz on Friday sentenced Warren to 11 years in prison for the crimes, pursuant to the Mann Act, according to a release from the Minnesota District of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

On March 15, 2011, Warren was charged on both counts; a jury convicted him on Aug. 18, 2011.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Warren recruited and transported the girl to engage in commercial sex acts, knowing she was under the age of 18, according to the release.

In addition, on one occasion between November of 2008 and March 18, 2009, Warren transported the adult female from Minnesota to Wisconsin for the purpose of having her engage in prostitution, according to a previous release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Police learned of Warren’s activities through advertisements on Craigslist, an online auction site.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell.

The U.S. Department of Justice reports that an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked within the U.S. each year. According to the Justice Department, the Twin Cities metropolitan area is one of the 15 largest human trafficking centers in the nation.