A man who was previously on the FBI’s Most Wanted list has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking, U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus said Monday.
Donald Eugene Fields II, 62, offered sexual contact to a minor in exchange for money and other items from his co-defendant, Theodore “Ted” John Sartori Sr.
The abuse started when the victim was 14 years old. From the winter of 2013 to the summer of 2016, Sartori engaged in illegal sexual activity with the minor while providing Fields with cash, a car, a motorcycle, Christmas gifts, and vacations. In the summer of 2016, Sartori paid for the victim’s vacation to Florida and drove her there to engage in sexual behavior, with Fields guiding the youngster.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp addressed Fields directly during Thursday’s sentencing hearing, stating that his crimes “warranted extreme punishment.”
Fields was indicted on federal charges on December 7, 2022, after failing to appear in Franklin County Circuit Court on pending state charges.
His run ended on Jan. 26, 2025, when police in Lady Lake, Florida, took him up during a traffic stop and found his FBI Most Wanted designation. In April, he pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of child sex trafficking.
“Donald Fields II thought he could avoid justice by fleeing to Florida after committing heinous crimes against a kid in Missouri. “He was wrong,” stated Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI’s Saint Louis Division. “Today’s sentence holds Fields accountable for the lifelong trauma he caused to his young victim. I salute the victim’s amazing courage in coming forward, which enabled justice to be served, as well as the unshakable dedication of FBI detectives and our law enforcement partners, particularly the Lady Lake Police Department.
Sartori, 65, is currently serving a ten-year jail sentence after pleading guilty in August 2024 to one count of travel with the purpose to engage in illegal sexual activity.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI conducted a joint investigation, with assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team. Assistant US Attorney Dianna Edwards prosecuted the case.
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