ST. LOUIS — A former FBI Most Wanted fugitive has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for providing another man with sexual access to a child in exchange for money, property, gifts, and vacations.
Donald Eugene Fields II, 62, previously pleaded guilty in April to one count of child sex trafficking in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced the sentence on Monday, July 20. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp imposed the sentence during a hearing held Thursday and told Fields that his crimes warranted extreme punishment.
The criminal conduct began when the victim was 14 years old. Fields provided his friend and co-defendant, Theodore “Ted” John Sartori Sr., with sexual access to the child in exchange for cash and other items of value.
From the winter of 2013 through the summer of 2016, Sartori engaged in illegal sexual activity with the victim while providing Fields with money, a car, a motorcycle, Christmas presents, and vacations.
In the summer of 2016, Sartori financed a trip to Florida and transported the victim there intending to engage in illegal sexual activity with her. Fields instructed the victim to engage in sexual activity with Sartori.
The conduct continued for approximately three years and involved the deliberate commercial exploitation of a child. Under federal law, exchanging anything of value for a commercial sex act involving a person younger than 18 constitutes child sex trafficking. The government is not required to establish that force, fraud, or coercion was used when the victim is a minor.
A federal grand jury indicted Fields on December 7, 2022. The indictment followed his failure to appear in Franklin County Circuit Court, where he faced separate pending charges.
Fields remained a fugitive and was placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. His flight ended on January 26, 2025, when police officers conducted a traffic stop in Lady Lake, Florida. Officers identified Fields and learned that he was wanted by the FBI, resulting in his arrest more than two years after the federal indictment.
“Donald Fields II believed he could outrun justice by fleeing to Florida after committing reprehensible crimes against a child in Missouri. He was wrong,” said Chris Crocker, special agent in charge of the FBI’s St. Louis Division.
Crocker credited the victim’s courage in coming forward and recognized the work of FBI investigators, the Lady Lake Police Department, and the other law-enforcement agencies involved in locating Fields and completing the investigation.
Sartori, now 65, is serving a 10-year federal prison sentence for his role in the exploitation. He pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI jointly investigated the case. The Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team, and the Lady Lake Police Department provided assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards prosecuted the case for the Eastern District of Missouri.
The prosecution was conducted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to identify victims, locate offenders, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, including those who use the internet to facilitate their crimes. Project Safe Childhood is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
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The special agent in charge of the FBI’s St. Louis Division, Chris Crocker, said what needed to be said about this case when he stated that Fields committed “reprehensible crimes against a child.” Because of his crimes, Fields will probably die in prison. If he does make his 20 years, he will be in his 80s. It is always so hard to read about cases like this but they need to be publicized so that everyone knows that this kind of evil crime carries a heavy penalty. I am very concerned for the victim in this case and wonder how access to a child this young was had for this length of time or at all for that matter. Anyone involved in that part of this situation needs to be held accountable as well. I hope the victim gets the help needed to adjust to a normal life.
Thank you for this article, John. I hope you have a good evening.
You’re very welcome, Chris.
A 20-year federal sentence is substantial, and it sends a clear message about the consequences of exploiting a child. No prison term can undo the harm or restore the years taken from the victim.
Healing from prolonged exploitation can require privacy, stability, professional support, and people she can genuinely trust. The information released does not explain how the access continued for so long, so I do not want to speculate. If investigators identify anyone else who knowingly enabled, concealed, or participated in the abuse, any additional accountability should follow the evidence.
Thank you again, Chris. I hope all is well, and I hope you have a great night and a great day ahead. 😎
You’re welcome, John, and thank you for this informative response. The 20 year sentence does, indeed, send a clear message about the consequences of exploiting a child.
Each victim of things like this is impacted differently, of course. The “helps” you refer to sound like they would be a great assistance, particularly being around trustworthy people.
Thank you again for this article, John. Thank you for your kind words and I hope you have a great day ahead!😊