Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Curtis "Kellogg" Maxie (age 60), of Pawtucket, was found guilty today by a Providence County Superior Court jury of three counts of first degree sexual assault, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. The jury returned the verdict in less than two hours after a seven-day trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Netti C. Vogel.
During the course of the trial, the jurors heard testimony from the victim, who was 16 years of age at the time she was sexually assaulted and trafficked by Maxie in 2014. She testified that during the month of April 2014, after she had run away from her home, she went to Maxie's apartment in Pawtucket with co-conspirator Marquis Melia, who was 22 years of age at the time. The first day they went to Maxie's apartment, they all smoked marijuana and played video games. Melia and the victim returned the next day, and while Melia was out of the apartment buying pre-paid debit cards, Maxie sexually assaulted the victim. The victim testified that Maxie called her pet names and told her he needed to see if she was "GFE," meaning "Girlfriend Experience." Maxie then sexually assaulted the victim telling her that he "needed to try her out to see if she could make him lots of money."
Jurors also heard from co-conspirator Marquis Melia, who has already pleaded nolo contendere to sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, and who is awaiting sentencing. Melia testified that he texted Maxie before he and the victim went to his apartment, telling Maxie he had a "fresh catch," meaning a new girl for Maxie to pimp out. Melia further testified that he bought pre-paid debit cards for Maxie to use to place ads on Backpage.com for the victim as an escort. He acknowledged his role in the trafficking of the victim.
The Pawtucket Police Department received a tip that the victim was being trafficked through Backpage.com. Pawtucket Police went to Maxie's apartment where they located the young girl.
"Curtis Maxie is a sexual predator and pimp who lures vulnerable girls into his web for the sole purpose of prostitution," said Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin. "The actions of this predator, and others like him, are facilitated by the lax regulation of sites like Backpage.com. If we are going to successfully end the trafficking of young girls like the victim in this case we need to have greater authority to go after and shut down these despicable sites."
Pawtucket Police Detectives Chip Devine and Richard LaForest led the investigation and Special Assistant Attorneys General Kimberly Ahern, Sara Tindall-Woodman, and Timothy Healy prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.