Date: 11-07-2025

Case Style: United States of America v. James L. Hattten, II

Case Number: 23-CR-245

Judge: Robert F. Rossiter, Jr.

Court: United States District Court for the District of Nebraska (Douglas County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office in Omaha

Defendant's Attorney:

Description: Omaha, Nebraska, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with sex trafficking a minor in violation of 18 U.S. 1591.

Federal and state laws treat
trafficking a minor as a severe felony, defining a minor as anyone under the age of 18. A key component of these laws is that a minor cannot legally consent to commercial sex acts or forced labor, meaning prosecutors do not need to prove force, fraud, or coercion if the victim is under 18.
Key Legal Elements
The core elements of a human trafficking offense under U.S. federal law (primarily the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, TVPA, and 18 U.S.C. § 1591) are:

Action: The offender recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, obtains, advertises, maintains, patronizes, or solicits a person.
Means (for adults): The action is accomplished using force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion.
Means (for minors): The "means" element is irrelevant; the victim's age of under 18 is sufficient to meet this element for commercial sex trafficking charges.
Purpose: The ultimate goal is for the victim to engage in commercial sex acts or forced labor/services.

Movement across state or international borders is not a required element for a federal conviction; the crime can occur entirely within a single state or even a single location like a hotel.
Penalties and Consequences
Convictions for trafficking a minor carry severe penalties at both federal and state levels:

Imprisonment: Mandatory minimum prison sentences are common, often starting at 10 to 15 years and extending up to life imprisonment, depending on the victim's age (e.g., under 14 years old vs. 14-17) and whether force was used.
Fines and Restitution: Substantial fines (up to hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars) are imposed. Offenders are also legally required to pay full restitution to their victims for losses incurred, including medical, housing, and legal costs.
Sex Offender Registration: Convicted individuals are often required to register as sex offenders for life.
Civil Action: Victims are granted a civil right of action, allowing them to sue their traffickers for damages.

Victim Protections
Federal law mandates a "victim-centered" approach, requiring that minor victims of trafficking be treated as victims of a serious crime, not offenders. They are entitled to various protections and services, including safety, privacy, medical attention, legal representation, and immigration relief for non-U.S. citizens. "Safe harbor" laws in some states further help prevent the inappropriate incarceration of child victims.

Outcome: The defendant pleaded guilty to counts I, II, III, IV and V of the Superseding Indictment and is hereby committed to the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons to be imprisoned for a term of four hundred eighty (480) months on Count I, four hundred eighty (480) months on Count II, four hundred eighty (480) months on Count III, four hundred eighty (480) months on Count IV and four hundred eighty (480) months on Count V to be served concurrently, supervised release with special conditions for a term of fifteen (15) years on Count I, fifteen (15) years on Count II, fifteen (15) years on Count III, fifteen (15) years on Count IV and fifteen (15) years on Count V to run concurrently; $500 special assessment; $304,800.90 restitution.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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