Arizona man caught in Stanislaus trying to traffic minor pleads guilty in federal court

An Arizona man that was arrested in Turlock as part of a human trafficking sting pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday, the U.S. Justice Department announced.

Robert Frenchie McGriff, 44, communicated with who he thought was an underage girl on Instagram to lure her into a life of prostitution.

The account was set up to appear to be owned by a 17-year-old named Trish, but it was actually an undercover detective with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office. The fake account purported to show “prostitution-related activity,” according to an affidavit.

Starting in March 2019, detectives spent months communicating with McGriff, who told the supposed girl he was a pimp and wanted to recruit her, the Modesto Bee previously reported.

“I’ll be the only daddy you’ll ever need,” McGriff says at one point, according to investigators.

The case was eventually handed over to the Department of Homeland Security’s office in Stockton. Federal agents tracked McGriff’s phone as he traveled by bus from Phoenix, Arizona, to Turlock in order to meet the supposed girl.

He was arrested in June 2019 shortly after arriving at a Turlock Greyhound station, as he walked towards a nearby motel to meet the supposed girl.

McGriff faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison plus a $250,000 fine. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9.

The case is part of Project Safe Childhood , created in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.