JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville couple was sentenced for sexual exploitation of a child on Thursday, according to the Department of Justice.
Samuel Christopher Templeman, 47 and Deborah Lynn Templeman, 51, were both sentenced to prison time and 10-years of probation. The couple will be registered as sex offenders, as well.
The DOJ says the Templemans had custody of a child who became addicted to heroin. Samuel Templeman was also addicted to drugs and would frequently use heroin and crack cocaine with the girl. She also began doing sex work to pay for the drugs, according to court documents.
Documents indicate on July 2019, the Templemans lost custody of the child, and she was placed into foster care. The couple was ordered to not contact her. However, she ran away and ended up back with the Templemans.
The couple received around 26,000 in inheritance in August 2019. The couple and the child blew through the majority of the money by October, spending it mostly on drugs. After the money was gone, the family relied on Deborah Templemans bi-weekly salary and, primarily, the victim's earnings doing sex work. Most of the income was used for drugs, court documents said.
In December 2019, a Jacksonville detective came to find the child. While waiting several hours for the girl to return, the detective overheard a phone call between Samuel and Deborah Templeman about taking the child to a "date". According to officials, this is a commonly used slang term for a sex work appointment.
When Samuel Templeman returned with the girl, he and Deborah were arrested. The child was rescued and taken into safety, according to a release from the DOJ.
Explicit sexual photos of the child were found on Deborah Templeman's phone during the investigation, police said. She admitted that she knew the photos were on her phone.
“Human trafficking is modern day slavery and even more troubling when it involves a child victim. This was an incredibly disturbing investigation that demonstrates how devastating human trafficking can be in our communities,” said Sherri Onks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “In this instance, the child victim was exploited and placed in grave danger by those who had custodial control and should have been providing care and protection."
Samuel Templeman was sentenced to 13 years and 4 months in federal prison for conspiring to sex traffic a child. Deborah Templeman was sentenced to 6 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material.
The couple pleaded guilty on June 21, 2021.
