CINCINNATI — A federal jury found a Cincinnati man guilty of sexually exploiting and trafficking minors, said Kenneth L. Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
Kelly Richards, 43, was convicted Tuesday of sex trafficking minors, sexually exploiting children and illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
Richards is also known as "Scorpio" due to a tattoo of a scorpion on the left side of his face.
Investigators were alerted in March 2023 that two juveniles had been screened as potential sex trafficking victims, according to court documents and trial testimony. Parker said federal agents then arrested Richards on May 16, 2023.
Parker said Richards picked up two minors who fled a group home in Dayton and drove them to a Cincinnati apartment complex. Richards then supplied the minors with cocaine before sexually assaulting them both, Parker said.
Richards then enticed the two female minors into having sex with other men, who paid Richards. Parker said Richards also created prostitution advertisements online with explicit photos of the minors.
According to court documents, one of the minors was prostituted up to four times per day in various hotels and homes.
Richards is set to be sentenced at a future court hearing. Sexually exploiting children is punishable by a range of 15 to 30 years in prison, sex trafficking minors faces a penalty of 10 years to life in prison and illegal possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
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