A Portland man has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison after admitting to trafficking three minor victims for commercial sex acts, concluding a multistate investigation that federal authorities say reflects the growing national focus on child exploitation crimes tied to online platforms and interstate movement.
Eric Lamont Harris, 51, received a sentence of 292 months in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release after pleading guilty to eight federal charges connected to the trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors. The sentence was handed down in U.S. District Court in Oregon and announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
According to court records, Harris began trafficking a 15-year-old girl in the spring of 2022. The victim, identified in filings as Minor Victim 1, had been reported missing and was a ward of the state at the time she encountered Harris. Prosecutors later determined Harris began trafficking a second victim, age 16, in June 2022, expanding what investigators described as an ongoing trafficking operation.
In July 2022, Harris transported both minors from Portland, Oregon, to Kennewick, Washington, where authorities said he arranged hotel accommodations with the intent that the teenagers engage in prostitution. The victims were located after a missing persons report filed by the second victim’s parents triggered coordination between federal agents and local police in Washington state.
Investigators later identified a third victim, a 17-year-old girl whom Harris met in June 2022 and began trafficking in August of that year. Court documents state that each victim lived with Harris during the period of exploitation.
Federal prosecutors said Harris organized commercial sex encounters by reserving hotel rooms, transporting the minors to and from appointments, facilitating online escort advertisements featuring the victims, and collecting thousands of dollars generated from those encounters.
A federal grand jury returned an eight-count second superseding indictment on September 16, 2025, charging Harris with transportation with intent to engage in prostitution, three counts of sex trafficking of a child, three counts of sex trafficking of a child for benefiting from participation in a trafficking venture, and sexual exploitation of children. Harris pleaded guilty to all charges on November 6, 2025, during the fourth day of a scheduled ten-day trial.
The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation working alongside the Portland Police Bureau, Kennewick Police Department, and Medford Police Department, underscoring how trafficking investigations increasingly span multiple jurisdictions. Law enforcement agencies across the country have reported that trafficking operations frequently move victims between cities and states to avoid detection while relying heavily on online advertising to arrange commercial sex activity.
Federal officials said the prosecution was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to identify victims, investigate offenders, and prosecute individuals involved in exploiting children.
Under federal law, minors involved in commercial sex acts are legally considered trafficking victims regardless of whether force or coercion is demonstrated. Prosecutors noted that traffickers often target vulnerable youth, including runaways, missing children, and minors facing unstable living conditions.
The lengthy prison sentence reflects federal sentencing guidelines aimed at addressing crimes involving child exploitation and disrupting trafficking operations that operate across state lines. Following completion of his prison term, Harris will remain under federal supervision for ten years.
Authorities continue to encourage reporting of suspected trafficking activity and emphasize that many investigations begin with missing juvenile reports. Federal officials say coordinated investigative efforts remain central to locating victims and prosecuting offenders as law enforcement agencies confront what they describe as an evolving national challenge involving child exploitation facilitated through travel networks and digital platforms.
The case closes a years-long investigation but also illustrates the broader federal enforcement strategy now underway across the United States, where prosecutors are increasingly pursuing trafficking cases through coordinated, multistate investigations designed to identify victims and dismantle exploitation networks operating beyond local boundaries.