Man guilty of charges linked to prostitution

A 32-year-old Toledo man pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges involving bringing a woman across state lines for purposes of prostitution.

Taliaferro Lawson was found guilty in U.S. District Court in Toledo of two counts of interstate transportation for prostitution and one count of destruction of evidence. Judge David Katz noted that a sentencing date won't be set until a presentence investigation report is completed.

Few details were mentioned during the court hearing Monday other than that the destruction of evidence referred to a cell phone destroyed by Lawson at the time of his arrest. It was noted that since Lawson's arrest on the charges in October, a closer look at the case revealed that the woman involved was not a juvenile. Additionally, federal prosecutors noted that Lawson was not charged with forcing the woman into prostitution.

Attorney Don Cameron asked Judge Katz to reconsider holding Lawson in custody pending sentencing in light of these factors. The judge referred the matter to the probation department for a recommendation.