Warren man facing felony charges for alleged sex trafficking

WARREN — A Warren man is facing charges in an Oakland County court for allegedly forcing a minor to engage in commercial sex.

James Earl Madison-Cranford, 28, was arraigned earlier this month in the 46th District Court in Southfield after an investigation by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Task Force.

The investigation started in 2017, when the task force received a tip about a minor being sex trafficked. The team began an undercover investigation by responding to an advertisement posted online, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of Attorney General.

The task force was able to rescue the minor, who indicated that Madison-Cranford used online advertisements and made her regularly perform commercial sex for several months, the press release states.

Commercial sex is defined as any sexual act being performed on account of anything of value given to or received by any person.

Madison-Cranford was charged with minor sex trafficking, a 20-year felony; prostitution-accepting earnings, a 20-year felony; prostitution-transporting a female, a 20-year felony; conducting a criminal enterprise, a 20-year felony; and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a 15-year felony.

He was charged as a habitual offender and is being held in the Oakland County Jail on a $900,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a probable cause conference at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 8 in front of Judge Shelia Johnson in the 46th District Court.

As of July 21, Madison-Cranford did not have an attorney listed in court records.