Pimp Sentenced To 30 Years In Federal Prison

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A California man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release following his jury convictions for felony sex trafficking offenses involving a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.

“Assisted by his partner, this five-time convicted felon preyed on his minor victim simply for the purpose of enriching his own pocketbook,” said U.S. Attorney Bogden. “We will work with our local and federal law enforcement partners to ensure that the persons who engage in this type of criminal activity are arrested and prosecuted.”

Daniel James Barnes, 33, of Merced, Calif., was found guilty on April 6 of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child, one count of sex trafficking of a child, one count of transportation of a minor for prostitution, and one count of conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child.

According to the court records, in April 2013, co-defendant, Amber Lynn Marquardt met a 15-year-old girl in the area of Boulder Highway and Tropicana in Las Vegas where they were both working as prostitutes. Marquardt introduced the girl to her pimp, Barnes, and the girl went to work for Barnes the following day and provided all of her earnings to him. That night, Barnes, Marquardt, and the female victim traveled to California, spending one night in a motel in Modesto, and approximately two weeks in motels in and around Merced. In Merced, Marquardt took sexually explicit photographs of the 15-year-old female and posted them on the internet site, MyRedbook.com, commonly used by pimps and prostitutes to promote their business. The 15-year-old female worked as a prostitute while they stayed in Merced, and provided all of her earnings to Barnes. After two weeks in California, Barnes, Marquardt and the 15-year-old girl drove back to Las Vegas and checked into a hotel on the Boulder Highway. The 15-year-old was arrested in May in the area of Tropicana and Polaris after she solicited an undercover Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detective for sex.  Barnes and Marquardt were arrested in September 2013 at a motel in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Barnes has five prior felony convictions in California related to narcotics, burglary, and evading arrest. 

Marquardt pleaded guilty to transportation of a minor for prostitution, and was sentenced on May 31 to 41 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cristina D. Silva.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."