Waukesha Man Faces Federal Charges For Sex Trafficking

WAUKESHA, WI— A Waukesha man was charged in connection with sex trafficking offenses that spanned over six years and multiple states, according to federal officials.

Matthew D. Krueger, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Cornelius M. Jackson, 31, of Waukesha.

In a news release, federal officials said the first charge stems from 2014 through August 2020. Feds accused Jackson of conspiring with others to use force, fraud, and coercion to cause victims to engage in commercial sex acts in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Ohio.

Counts 2 to 5 accuse Jackson of using force, fraud, and coercion to cause four victims to engage in commercial sex acts, the release said.

If convicted of any of the counts, Jackson faces up to life in prison, the release said.

“Sex trafficking is a brutal crime that dehumanizes its victims,”Krueger said in the release. “These important charges resulted from extraordinary collaboration among law enforcement agencies who demonstrated remarkable determination in conducting this investigation.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, Milwaukee Police Department, Waukesha Police Department, and Oneida Police Department, in collaboration with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Abbey M. Marzick.

"The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty," the release said.