Congressman Smith’s Anti-Trafficking Law Used In Two Recent High-Profile Prosecutions

Congressman Chris Smith

Allison Mack of the TV series “Smallville,” and former Middletown Police Officer  James Keenan  are facing justice for their alleged human trafficking crimes thanks to a law conceived, championed and passed into law through the leadership and tenacity of Congressman Chris Smith.

Smith’s landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (PL 106-386) is the law being enforced in the recent high-profile indictment of a trafficking ring in New York that involved Mack and the indictment of Keenan on child sex trafficking charges.

“This law, the TVPA, sends a message to traffickers of the gravity of their offense,” Rep. Smith, co-chair of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus, stated.

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Accused Child Sex Trafficker, An Ex Middletown Cop, Released To His Mother’s Custody

James Keenan and his mother, Katherine Fowlie, December 2015. social media photo

James J. Keenan, 47, the retired Middletown Police Officer arrested on federal child sex trafficking charges last week, was released to the custody of his mother, Katherine Fowlie, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovani on Monday afternoon during a bond hearing in Trenton Federal Court.

Fowlie is the widow of former Middletown Police Chief William Fowlie, Keenan’s step-father.

Keenan and Fowlie co-signed a $50,000 unsecured bond as a condition of the release.  Additionally, Keenan is subject to 24 hour per day home confinement with electronic monitoring, is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with minor children, must refrain from using alcohol or drugs, be tested for substance abuse, and must restrict his travel–as approved by pre-trail services– to the State of New Jersey and the District of Oregon for Court Purposes. His computer usage is restricted and he surrendered his passport. Read the rest of this entry »

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Retired Middletown Cop Fled After Being Questioned About Child Sex Trafficking Activity

James Keenan

James Keenan, 47, the retired Middletown Police Officer arrested on a Child Sex Trafficking indictment last week,fled his Vancouver, WA home and returned to the New York area after authorities interviewed him regarding his relationship with a 17 year old Beaverton, Oregon girl.

In a motion to unseal Keenan’s indictment, Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott M. Kerin told the Court that the defendant was interviewed about the allegations against him approximately two weeks prior to his April 5, 2018 indictment. When attempting to serve an arrest warrant, the case agent found that Keenan showed up at his place of employment on March 30 and announced, without notice, that he was leaving and returning to New York.  Keenan’s Vancouver home was found vacant and his car could not be located. Read the rest of this entry »

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