WI Man Forced Woman Stream On Online: Feds

RIVER FALLS, MN — A Wisconsin man was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty in November 2023 to two counts of sex trafficking.

Austin Koeckeritz, 30, of River Falls, admitted to compelling a woman to perform commercial sex acts online and to sex trafficking a minor.

Koeckeritz used violence and emotional manipulation, isolation, and surveillance to recruit and then compel one adult victim into engaging in online commercial sex acts in the River Falls area between August 2020 and August 2022.

Beginning in January 2021, a woman was forced to perform commercial sex acts between eight and 12 hours a day, six days a week, for over 18 months, authorities said.

Koeckeritz also caused a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts between October 2021 and January 2022, according to investigators.

'"Sex traffickers exploit vulnerable victims for profit and, increasingly, this practice includes commercial sex activity online," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a statement.

"This should send a clear message – sex traffickers who try to hide behind computer screen screens and exploit victims online will be exposed and held accountable. The Justice Department remains committed to prosecuting human trafficking offenses, no matter the form, and standing up for the children and adult survivors targeted by these abusers."