DES MOINES, Iowa — An Ames man pled guilty to 15 counts of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion Tuesday, according to federal prosecutors.
Former licensed nurse practitioner and business owner Carl Dale Markley admitted in a plea agreement to "using fraud and coercion to cause fourteen victims to engage in commercial sex acts."
Between 2004 and 2023, prosecutors say Markley lied to dozens of young men, telling them he needed "to perform sex acts on them or observe them engaging in sex acts in order to obtain medical or massage certifications, complete classwork, conduct third-party research, and for product development."
Markley fabricated consent forms and contracts that required his victims to participate in paid sex acts, pretending to record data during the "research sessions" and falsely telling them he was submitting the information to legitimate research companies.
"Markley appealed to the benevolence of the young men, telling them that the research was helping others." the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa said in a release.
He also used hidden cameras to catch his victims naked.
For each of the 15 sex trafficking counts, Markley faces a 15-year minimum sentence with a maximum punishment of life in prison.
His sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2025.
