18 U.S.C. 1591, Sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Of the 1,067 federal defendants convicted under 18 U.S.C. 1591 in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 1,060 (more than 99%) received a prison term on that charge. The median term was 180 months (15 years), and 41 people received life. Trials were held for 194 defendants (17%), and 11 of those trials ended in
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In brief: Of the 1,067 federal defendants convicted under 18 U.S.C. 1591 in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 1,060 (more than 99%) received a prison term on that charge. The median term was 180 months (15 years), and 41 people received life. Trials were held for 194 defendants (17%), and 11 of those trials ended in an acquittal (6%).
This post uses the Federal Judicial Center's records of 1,166 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The series also draws on the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 659,036 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. It is part of the Federal Prosecution Analysis series, which builds on Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System. How the numbers were built: How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built.
Prison Terms and Life Sentences
Nearly every conviction under this section came with a prison term on the charge: 1,060 of 1,067. For terms of 1 month or more, the median prison term was 180 months, or 15 years. Life terms were imposed on 41 people.
The median is the middle term in ranked order. It does not show how many terms were far above or below it. These are sentences imposed, not time served.
What the Data Covers
The U.S. Code heading for Title 18, section 1591 reads "Sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion." A defendant is counted here when that section was the most serious charge at the end of the case.
The Federal Judicial Center records follow the federal courts' Table D-4 and cover 1,166 defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. They include dismissals and acquittals, not only convictions.
How Often Cases Went to Trial
A trial was held for 194 defendants (17%). Juries decided 180 of those trials and acquitted in 7 (4%). Judges sitting alone decided 14 and acquitted in 4 (29%).
The bench-trial figure rests on 14 cases, so a single verdict changes it noticeably. Across all 194 trials, the acquittal rate was 6%.
Pleas and Dismissals
Guilty pleas ended 884 cases (76%). Charges were dismissed for 88 defendants (8%). A dismissal can be on the government's motion, including after a guilty plea in another case.
Including both pleas and verdicts, 1,067 of the 1,166 were convicted (92%). Every charge under this section was a felony (100%).
Counsel at Case End
CJA panel attorneys, who are private lawyers appointed by the court, represented 650 defendants (56%). Federal public or community defenders represented 328 (28%), and retained private counsel represented 171 (15%). Self-representation was recorded for 1 defendant.
The CJA panel group had 127 trials and 5 acquittals (4%). The federal defender group had 44 trials and 3 acquittals (7%). The retained group had 23 trials and 3 acquittals (13%). Guilty-plea shares were 74%, 80%, and 80% in the same order.
These numbers describe groups of cases, not the quality of lawyers. Defendants with appointed and retained counsel can face different charges and circumstances, and counsel is recorded as of the end of the case.
| Type of counsel at the end of the case | Defendants | Pleaded guilty | Dismissed | Trials | Acquitted at trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal public or community defender | 328 | 80% | 6% | 44 | 3 (7%) |
| CJA panel attorney | 650 | 74% | 6% | 127 | 5 (4%) |
| Private (retained) counsel | 171 | 80% | 7% | 23 | 3 (13%) |
| Self-represented | 1 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 1 | 0 | 0 |
Each Fiscal Year
Cases ending per year ranged from 86 in fiscal year 2020 to 141 in fiscal years 2016 and 2018. Trials ranged from 15 in fiscal year 2017 to 28 in fiscal year 2023.
No trial ended in an acquittal in fiscal years 2017, 2020, and 2021. Fiscal year 2023 had 3 acquittals (11%). With yearly acquittal counts this low, the table does not show a trend.
| Fiscal year | Cases ended | Pleaded guilty | Dismissed | Trials | Acquitted at trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 141 | 70% | 13% | 24 | 2 (8%) |
| 2017 | 132 | 86% | 3% | 15 | 0 (0%) |
| 2018 | 141 | 78% | 8% | 20 | 1 (5%) |
| 2019 | 123 | 77% | 8% | 18 | 1 (6%) |
| 2020 | 86 | 73% | 8% | 16 | 0 (0%) |
| 2021 | 100 | 72% | 12% | 16 | 0 (0%) |
| 2022 | 128 | 78% | 5% | 21 | 1 (5%) |
| 2023 | 126 | 75% | 3% | 28 | 3 (11%) |
| 2024 | 97 | 73% | 8% | 18 | 1 (6%) |
| 2025 | 92 | 73% | 8% | 18 | 2 (11%) |
Beyond the Numbers
The approved crosswalk lists no close court-martial counterpart for this section, so the figures stand alone. The records contain no case facts, no evidence, and no reasons for any plea, dismissal, or verdict.
How We Counted
Every federal defendant whose case ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 and whose most serious charge at the end of the case (TTITLE1) was under 18 U.S.C. 1591, any subsection (1,166), Federal Judicial Center, counted as in the federal courts' Table D-4. Type of counsel is TCOUNSEL; labels from the FJC criminal codebook. Section heading from the U.S. Code as published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel (release point 119-136).
Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.
What to Keep in Mind
Who is in each set of numbers. The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended.
How "plea" and "trial" are counted. In the federal sentencing numbers, "trial" means the person was convicted after a trial, including people who pleaded guilty to some counts and went to trial on others. People acquitted at trial are not in these numbers at all (see "Who is in each set of numbers"). In the federal case data, the trial rate counts both convictions and acquittals at trial among all defendants whose cases ended, including dismissed cases. Military numbers count contested cases that reached a verdict. These denominators are not the same, and each post states the one it uses.
Time periods. Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.
Type of counsel describes groups of cases, not lawyers. The Federal Judicial Center records the type of counsel at the end of the case. Defendants who hire a lawyer differ from defendants who receive an appointed lawyer in their charges, criminal history, and circumstances, and some defendants change lawyers during a case. Differences in outcomes by type of counsel therefore cannot be credited to the type of lawyer.
Related Analysis
- Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- 18 U.S.C. 1546, Fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025 (same title of the U.S. Code)
- 18 U.S.C. 1589, Forced labor: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2017–2025 (same title of the U.S. Code)
- 18 U.S.C. 1594, General provisions: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025 (same title of the U.S. Code)
- 18 U.S.C. 1623, False declarations before grand jury or court: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025 (same title of the U.S. Code)
- Appointed vs. Retained Lawyers in Federal Criminal Cases: How Cases Ended, 2016–2025
- Are Courts-Martial More Likely to End in Acquittal Than Federal Trials?
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles (source)
- Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants) (source)
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.