Jacksonville married couple accused in child sex trafficking case

4:05 PM EST March 7, 2021

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — First Coast News has obtained the mug shots of a married couple accused of conspiring to sex traffic a child and other charges.

On Feb. 25, a grand jury indicted 46-year-old Samuel Templeman and 50-year-old Deborah Templeman with conspiring to sex traffic a child, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday. Each could spend the rest of their lives in prison if convicted.

According to an arrest report from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office obtained by First Coast News Wednesday, Samuel Templeman was arrested Dec. 11, 2019, on charges of human trafficking for commercial sexual activity of a child under 18 and living off the earnings of a prostitute. The report says the victim was a runaway who would post online advertisements for prostitution in order to support the heroin addiction of the victim and Samuel Templeman.

The money from the “dates” would also go toward food, lodging and other living expenses, the arrest report says.

Deborah Templeman was arrested July 24, 2020, on charges of coercing commercial sex activity of a child less than 18 years of age for human trafficking and deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution, according to an arrest report.

The indictments returned against Samuel Templeman include sex trafficking a child. The indictments returned against Deborah Templeman include possessing child sex abuse material.

The indictment says that beginning at least by November 2019 and continuing through Dec. 11, 2019, Samuel and Deborah Templeman “conspired to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, maintain, patronize and solicit a female child whom they knew was under the age of 18 and would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act.” During the same timeframe, Samuel Templeman “knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained and maintained” the victim, knowing she was under the age of 18 and would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act, according to the indictment.

The indictment also states that Deborah Templeman possessed a cellphone containing a video showing a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct on Dec. 7, 2019.


If convicted on all counts, Samuel Templeman faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to two life terms, in federal prison. Deborah Templeman faces up to life in federal prison.