Tazewell County man pleads guilty to attempted sex trafficking of a minor

PRINCETON, WV (WVNS) — A Tazewell County man pleaded guilty to attempted sex trafficking of a minor.

According to U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart, Jamie Southern, 50, of Tazewell County, admitted to using Craigslist to try to have sex with underage girls for money in June 2020. He also confessed to federal investigators he had pictures and videos of child pornography on his cell phone.

“Child sex trafficking is a most heinous crime,” Stuart said. “I commend the work of the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force to identify and investigate perpetrators. We are committed to holding offenders accountable and bringing justice to victims.”

Southern faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender. His sentencing is scheduled for March 8, 2021.