Des Moines Sun

An Ottumwa man was sentenced on September 6, 2024, to 40 years in federal prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion of two victims, sex trafficking of one child, enticement and attempted enticement of two minors, and using the internet to facilitate prostitution after pleading guilty to all six charges in April 2024, roughly a week before his trial was scheduled to begin.

According to public court documents, from 2018 to 2023, Darnell Keith Jones, 32, victimized at least five individuals—two children and three adults—throughout parts of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. These areas included Ottumwa, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Chicago. Jones successfully sex trafficked one adult and one child. To cause his victims to engage in sex acts in exchange for money, Jones used physical assaults, harassment, and threats. He also acted like a boyfriend to his victims, attempting to convince them that they could demonstrate their loyalty and love by completing sex acts for money. Among other things, Jones threatened a victim with a knife, hit a victim with a brick, and choked and strangled victims with such force that they lost consciousness or even urinated. Jones raped one victim and attempted to rape another. He admitted that he drove his victims to locations where they completed sex acts for money and that he used various internet websites to advertise the adult victims.

Jones coerced and attempted to coerce two female children into engaging in illegal sexual conduct including prostitution. One child was just fourteen years old; Jones used text-message communications to persuade her into prostitution and into engaging in sex acts with him.

“This case and many similar cases have a lifelong impact on the victims," 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.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This criminal case was investigated jointly by the Ottumwa Police Department, Wapello County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Wapello County Sheriff's Office Detective Aaron McConnell; Ottumwa Police Department Investigators Jeremy Tosh and Caleb Mitchell served as case agents with assistance from Special Agent Hai Tran of HSI and DCI. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle Essley and Laura Roan prosecuted the case.

Human trafficking involves exploiting youth under 18 for commercial sex; exploiting adults for commercial sex through force, fraud or coercion; or exploiting any individual for compelled labor. It does not require transportation across state lines or physical restraint. Signs include working excessively long hours; unexplained gifts; physical injury; substance abuse issues; running away from home; isolation from others; or having someone controlling or monitoring them closely. Victims particularly susceptible include those with criminal histories; history of physical or sexual abuse; uncertain legal status; or dependency on controlled substances.

Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.