Youth Pastor Accused of Human Trafficking Teenage Girls Living on Their Earnings – NBC 6 South Florida

A youth pastor and counselor appeared before a bail court judge accused in a case of living off the earnings of a teenager who worked as a prostitute.

According to an affidavit, 40-year-old Stephen Johnson met the alleged victim through a social media app when she was 12 and selling nude content online.

Investigators say the girl met someone through the app who she thought was a woman who offered to help her sell more nude content, but that woman was actually Johnson.

According to the complaint, the acts continued until the alleged victim turned 17 and flew to Birmingham, Alabama, where the suspect allegedly posted her on escort ads and instructed her to engage in commercial sex acts in exchange for money.

“He trafficked a minor in another state, your honor, a 17-year-old,” prosecutors said in court.

The affidavit states that the two moved to South Florida when the teenager was accepted into college and Johnson allegedly continued to force her into prostitution.

According to prosecutors, this happened in several states.

“Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and now Florida and Washington DC,” prosecutors said.

In court, prosecutors said Johnson volunteered as a youth pastor at a church and counseled children.

“He has volunteered as a youth pastor for youth ages 5 to 18 at a church in Birmingham, Alabama, for 12 years,” prosecutors said.

Victor Williams of Quest 2 Freedom, a nonprofit that helps victims of human trafficking, says he sees this all the time.

“Many people who work with children in these types of places and spaces turn out to be predators,” Williams said.

Williams says traffickers use different tactics to gain a victim's trust before exploiting them.

“Pretending to be someone who is not in order to gain the trust of these children, get certain information about where they are and convince these children to meet them in person,” Williams said.

In court, Johnson was ordered to stay away from children and stay offline.