PORTLAND — An Auburn man facing assault and sex trafficking charges in Androscoggin County is now facing federal charges.

Willie Minor, 57, of 30 Lake St. has been charged in U.S. District Court with a single count of possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a domestic violence assault.

The charge carries a potential sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

U.S. District Court officials have also moved to have Minor held in federal custody, arguing that he poses a threat to the public and that there is a risk he might try to flee prosecution.

Minor is already facing state charges of gross sexual assault, aggravated sex trafficking, aggravated assault, violation of privacy, domestic violence assault and domestic violence terrorizing.

Police began investigating Minor in late November after a 45-year-old woman reported he forced her into prostitution before turning jealous and repeatedly beating her, at one point placing a belt around her neck and pulling it tight.

The woman told investigators that Minor created several Backpage.com accounts to advertise her services as a prostitute. She also said Minor instructed her on what sex acts she was to perform on clients and controlled the money she made through prostitution.

When police began investigating, they conducted a warrant search at Minor’s home. Among other items seized by police were a partially loaded handgun in a bathroom cabinet. Federal court documents identify the gun as a Lorcin Engineering L380, a .38-caliber pistol.

Minor, indicted on the state charges in February, has been held at the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn on $10,000 cash bail.

Willie Minor

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