On February 19, Philip Walker, 39, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to a sex trafficking charge related to him orchestrating a violent, multi-state human trafficking operation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania reported that Walker pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion.
According to prosecutors, Walker systematically recruited and lured women from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida, and Texas between November 2019 and April 2022. Walker exploited the women through threats, and deceptive and violent means to force the women into the sex trade. Walker, also known as “Sean Santana” and “Money,” used the internet and cell phones to facilitate the trafficking operation. Prosecutors reported that Walker exploited these systems to force some victims into traveling across state lines, including from Ohio to Pennsylvania, for the prostitution scheme.
The CSE Institute has previously reported on Walker in relation to federal grand jury charges for sex trafficking from 2022. Under federal law, a person is guilty of trafficking if they recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, advertise, maintain, patronize, or solicit a person for a commercial sex act through force, fraud, and coercion.
Walker’s sentencing is scheduled for May 29, 2025. According to the law, Walker could face a life sentence and a fine of up to $250,000. Authorities stated that per the federal sentencing guidelines, Walker’s actual sentence will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and, if applicable, his prior criminal history.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Narcotics Division conducted the investigation uncovering Walker’s operation. The efforts and prosecution are a part of Operation T.E.N. (Trafficking Ends Now), an umbrella coalition involving the coordinated effort of law enforcement, community, and non-profit partners of 25 counties in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The operation aims to “[end] human trafficking through education, [improve] cooperation among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and [] enhance [the] ability to empower victims of human trafficking to become thriving survivors.”
The CSE Institute commends the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Narcotics Division for its diligent prosecution of Walker’s crimes, as well as the efforts of Operation T.E.N., whose assistance led to the prosecution of Walker.
Authorities have encouraged members of the public or other potential victims to come forward and offer additional information about Walker’s crimes of sex trafficking and exploiting others. Those with information should contact the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office and call 412-432-4000.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates as they become available.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.