Alabama youth pastor charged with sex trafficking teen in Birmingham, other states
An Alabama youth pastor is facing sex trafficking charges in Florida after he allegedly sex trafficked a girl in multiple states.
Stephen Johnson, 40, whom prosecutors said has volunteered as a youth pastor at an unnamed Birmingham church for more than a decade, met the victim on social media when she was 12 years old and selling adult content online, according to NBC Miami.
Johnson met the girl by posing as a woman who wanted to help the victim sell the content.
When the victim was 17, Johnson allegedly flew to Birmingham and posted escort advertisements of the victim online and forced her into prostitution in several states and Washington, D.C., according to Florida prosecutors.
Johnson moved with the victim to South Florida after the teen was accepted to a college there, NBC Miami reported.
Johnson allegedly kept 40 percent of the teen’s earnings, according to WSVN in Miami.
At his bond hearing, Jackson was ordered to stay away from minors and the victim. He was also ordered to stay away from the internet.