A man pleaded guilty to allegations he transported a teenager to New York and Connecticut to engage in commercial sex.

Leon Blount III, 31, of Boston, pleaded guilty to three counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

He is expected to face sentencing on April 24, officials said.

“Blount admitted today that he sought out and took advantage of a vulnerable young woman and limited her freedom,” Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England, said in a statement Wednesday. “This is a pattern we see again and again with human traffickers. Today’s plea brings us another step closer to justice for those he victimized.”

According to federal officials, Blount met the victim while she was living at a Massachusetts group home for transitional-age adolescents. He gave her alcohol and marijuana and recruited her to travel out-of-state to engage in commercial sex, officials said.

Between July and August 2022, Blount transported the 17-year-old girl from Massachusetts to New York and Connecticut to engage in commercial sex “for his financial benefit,” according to federal officials. While in New York, Blount directed her to solicit sex buyers in an area of Brooklyn that is known for commercial sex.

Throughout this period, Blount stayed in close contact with the victim using text messages to ensure that she continued to perform sex acts when he was not physically present, federal officials said. To attract more sex buyers, Blount made sure the victim’s photo was posted on websites that advertise commercial sex, according to officials. He then put the girl in hotel rooms in Woburn, Massachusetts and Hartford where he directed her to perform sex acts with buyers to earn more money.

The charge of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity includes a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, according to officials. The charge also carries at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

Blount has been in custody since September 2022. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023.

“Human trafficking is not just a crime; it is a profound violation of human dignity,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement Wednesday. “The unimaginable harm inflicted upon victims is happening too frequently in our communities. Our dedicated Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit remains committed to bringing traffickers to justice, providing unwavering support to survivors, and relentlessly pursuing those who exploit the most vulnerable.”