FBI: Two D.C. Residents Face Life Sentences on Charges of Sex Trafficking Children

Daraya Marshall, 35, and Jarnese Harris, 29, both of Washington, D.C., have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they engaged in sex trafficking of children and transported them for prostitution, the FBI said this week in a news release.

Marshall also was indicted for child sexual abuse and production and possession of child pornography, according to the FBI.

Police were tipped off by the mother of a 14-year old girl, who said that several girls were living and working out of Marshall’s apartment and local hotels, WTOP reported earlier this summer. The girl told police the two set up the “dates” online.

The indictment, which was returned Thursday, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Marshall and Harris were arrested earlier this summer and had been charged in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The case now will be prosecuted in the U.S. District Court, where the two defendants made their first appearances Monday. Both defendants pled not guilty to the charges and were ordered held pending a hearing next week, Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Marshall and Harris could face life prison terms if convicted of the charges, the FBI said. The indictment includes forfeiture allegations seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the charges related to sex trafficking of children, transportation of minors for prostitution, and child pornography.

According to the indictment, Marshall and Harris trafficked three children for sex and transported them between the District of Columbia and Maryland for the purpose of prostitution. The indictment alleges that Marshall and Harris began trafficking one of the children in the summer of 2014, and began trafficking the other two children earlier this year.

The indictment also alleges that Marshall engaged in sexual acts with two of the children while they were under the age of 16. Finally, the indictment charges Marshall with production and possession of child pornography depicting one of the children.

In March, Frederick, Md. police arrested Marshall and Harris on March 14, charging them with possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. The two were stopped for a moving violation. During the traffic stop a Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit responded to assist. The K-9 unit conducted a scan of the vehicle and alerted to the odor of a narcotic. During a search of the vehicle 59 grams of suspected marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia was seized.

“Those who engage in human trafficking are targeting the most vulnerable members of society, including children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “The federal prosecution of this case reflects the priority we have placed on aggressively combating this crime and saving victims from future abuse.”

“Child sex trafficking is an abhorrent crime that creates a cycle of victimization which must be stopped,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “The FBI is committed to bringing child predators to justice and rescuing children from this heinous exploitation. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to aggressively prevent and investigate crimes against children.”

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.