Sex-traffic case testimony finishes

LITTLE ROCK — A Little Rock boxer accused of sex trafficking involving a minor will soon know his fate, as his case will likely go to a jury of 10 men and two women later today.

Keshawn Boykins, 27, who boxed professionally under the moniker “Turbo” and is known to federal authorities as “Turbo Hefner,” was indicted in 2019 on drug and firearms charges.

A superseding indictment in January 2020 added one count of sex trafficking of a minor, and a second superseding indictment in November 2021 added two additional sex trafficking counts.

A third superseding indictment handed up last March charged Boykins with two counts of sex trafficking and one count each of production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.

Assistant U.S. attorneys Kristin Bryant and Benecia Moore rested their case on Tuesday, following four witnesses who spent two days on the witness stand.

Boykins’ attorney, Mark Allen Jesse, said that Boykins would not testify, and that he would not put on any evidence but would be prepared to give a closing statement today.

Jesse, who said federal prosecutors had not proven their case, made two motions asking U. S. District Judge James M. Moody Jr. to acquit his client, but Moody denied them.

Most of the testimony on Monday and Tuesday centered around text messages and photos that were sent to various people from cellphones belonging to the two women Boykins is accused of abusing and trafficking for sex.

One of the women, a 22-year-old identified only as “H.E.,” testified on Monday that Boykins lured her with promises of making fast money, but after she agreed to move in with him, he kept her captive and began beating her when she refused to engage in prostitution.

After several days with Boykins in October 2018, the woman testified that she escaped when Boykins took her and his girlfriend to a Walmart store in Little Rock where she fled to an employee for help.

A second victim, identified as “T.M.,” testified Tuesday that she met Boykins in 2018 when she was 17, and that she soon moved in with him. Boykins, she said, then recruited her into prostitution.

She testified that Boykins posted suggestive and nude photos of her online along with online profiles he had crafted for her on various dating sites. According to two FBI agents who testified during the trial, the sites T.M.’s photos were posted on often serve as fronts for prostitution and sex trafficking.

Jesse asked T.M. about the time she spent with Boykins, about six months, during which she estimated she earned roughly $50,000 from prostitution.

“That would be a lot of dates,” Jesse said. “Yes,” T.M. replied “Two or three a day?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered. Following T.M.’s testimony, FBI Special Agent Daniel Turner walked jurors through the investigation, including a number of files extracted from phones used by Boykins, T.M. and others. He outlined a number of text conversations investigators had concluded were between customers and Boykins, who he said pretended to be various women as he tried to attract business.

Turner also said that a number of text messages discovered by the FBI consisted of entreaties by Boykins to different women trying to recruit them into prostitution.

The trial continues this morning with closing statements from both sides. Then, the case will be handed over to the jury for deliberations.