B-More Rapper Poppa Fetti Charged With Child Sex Trafficking

Baltimore rapper Deion “Poppa Fetti” Philip has been indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland on serious federal charges related to alleged child sex trafficking.

Unsealed on February 23, the federal indictment charges Philip with two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of transportation of a minor across state lines. Federal prosecutors allege that Philip trafficked two underage victims in 2025 with the intent to engage in commercial sex acts for financial gain. According to the indictment, one victim was allegedly trafficked between October and November of that year, while a second minor was allegedly trafficked for several weeks during the same period.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes alongside FBI Baltimore Field Office Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, and Maryland State Police Acting Superintendent Michael A. Jackson.

If convicted, Philip faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Each count also carries the possibility of a life sentence.

The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates federal, state, and local law enforcement resources to investigate and prosecute individuals accused of exploiting minors while identifying and assisting victims.

Philip has denied the allegations. His attorney, Mark Sobel, told The Baltimore Sun, “Mr. Philip vehemently maintains his innocence and looks forward to mounting a vigorous defense at trial.”

The federal indictment follows previous legal trouble. In November, Philip was indicted in Baltimore on nine state-level felony sex trafficking charges.

As the case moves forward in federal court, the rapper remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.