A Tennessee man has been indicted on several serious charges after allegedly impregnating a 16-year-old girl and discarding their newborn in a gas station dumpster shortly after she gave birth.
James Boothe, 45, was charged by a grand jury on Wednesday with two counts of trafficking for commercial sex acts, promoting prostitution involving minors aged 12 to 18, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and aggravated statutory rape.
The investigation began on January 27 when Memphis police responded to a suspicious call at approximately 9 a.m. in the 3100 block of Teakrock Lane, near the Flairwood Apartments. Upon arrival, a 16-year-old girl flagged down officers and revealed that a man she identified as “James” had dropped her off after she gave birth two hours earlier, according to the criminal complaint. Authorities later identified the man as James Boothe.
The teenager alleged that Boothe was driving her to a hospital when she went into labor. During the journey, she delivered a baby girl inside the vehicle.
According to her account, Boothe took the newborn, placed the body in a black plastic bag, and disposed of it in a trash dumpster behind a Shell gas station located at 1312 E. Shelby Drive.
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The girl claimed she had been in a “relationship” with Boothe for three years, according to the complaint.
Officers located the deceased newborn inside a bag in the dumpster after searching the gas station. Surveillance footage corroborated the teenager’s story, showing a man matching Boothe’s description driving a dark Infiniti SUV, exiting the vehicle, and discarding a black plastic bag. Authorities confirmed Boothe owns an Infiniti QX5.
Boothe was subsequently apprehended and admitted to picking up the girl from her home and taking her to his residence. Initially charged with abuse of a corpse, Boothe now faces a broader array of charges following the grand jury indictment.
Boothe remains in custody at the Shelby County Jail with his bond set at $1.25 million. Law enforcement officials have not released additional details regarding the trafficking and prostitution charges, and the cause of death for the baby has not been disclosed.
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