DES MOINES, Iowa — 32-year-old Darnell Keith Jones of Ottumwa has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for sex trafficking, enticement of minors and using the internet to facilitate prostitution.
Jones pleaded guilty to all six counts he was charged with before his initial trial in April.
Court documents say that Jones victimized at least five individuals from 2018 to 2023 which included two children and three adults in the states of Iowa, Illinois and Indiana.
In Iowa, Jones went through Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Ottumwa.
Jones was successful in sex trafficking one adult and one child.
He would use assault, threats and other harassment to force his victims to engage in sex acts in exchange for money.
One victim was threatened with a knife, another was hit with a brick and others would be choked with so much force they would lose consciousness and even urinate.
Jones also raped one victim while attempting to rape another.
He would admit to driving victims to locations where they would complete sex acts for money and that he used websites to advertise the adult victims.
Two female children were both coerced and attempted to be coerced to engage in illegal sexual conduct which included prostitution. One of these children was only 14-years-old, and reports say Jones used text messages to push the victim to engage in prostitution and to engage in sex acts with him.
The Department of Justice said the criminal case was investigated jointly by the Ottumwa Police Department, Wapello County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations.
“This case and many similar cases have a lifelong impact on the victims, which is not something the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office takes lightly,” said Wapello County Sheriff Don Phillips. “Local, state, and federal agencies worked together towards the common goal of ensuring justice for the victims and protecting the community. I will always make sure the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office does our part in combating human trafficking in the State of Iowa.”
The United States Department of Justice defined human trafficking as, " a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained."
Signs an individual is being trafficked:
- Working long hours
- Unexplained gifts
- Physical injury
- Substance abuse issues
- Running away from home
- Isolation from others
- Having someone in their life controlling them or monitoring them closely
Anyone who suspects human trafficking is happening, regardless of if it was a minor engaging in paid sex acts, or anyone being coerced into prostitution or labor, is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.