Darnell Bernard Edwards, 33, of Antioch, was sentenced today to 19 years and seven months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release for the sex trafficking of two minors, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in April and May 2019, Edwards transported two minors to the Desert Star Motel in Bakersfield and had them engage in prostitution. Edwards also transported the minors to other locations within California, supplied them with marijuana, and all three had the letter D and a crown tattooed on their bodies.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bakersfield Police Department with assistance from the Antioch Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the case.
This 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 those who sexually exploited children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the "resources" tab for details about internet-safety education.
