Federal Grand Jury Indicts District Man For Interstate Sex Trafficking and Rape of Children And Adult Females

6 October 2005

United States Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein and Alice S. Fisher, Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, jointly announced that Jaron Brice, also known as "Jaron," "Jay," "Jay Bird," and "Daddy," 29, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia on 17 counts related to his illegal sex trafficking operation that involved the prostitution and sexual assault of females as young as 14 years old. Brice, formerly of the 5900 block of 4th Street, NW, Washington, D.C., is charged with Sex Trafficking of Children and Sex Trafficking by Force, Interstate Transportation of Minors and Adults for Prostitution, Possession of a Firearm after Conviction of a Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Assault, First Degree Child Sexual Abuse, and Pandering. An arraignment date has not yet been set by the court. If convicted of all counts, Brice could face life imprisonment.
"The sex trade that forces juveniles into prostitution is a blight on society. It leaves lasting scars on its young victims and the affected neighborhoods. This indictment reflects our intolerance for those who subject our youth to the dehumanization and degradation of prostitution," said United States Attorney Wainstein.
"The sexual trafficking of children is a truly heinous crime, one that the Department of Justice will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law," said Assistant Attorney General Fisher. "Cases like this, part of the Department's Innocence Lost initiative, demonstrate our commitment to protecting our children from those who would prey upon them."
The indictment alleges that, beginning in March 2004 and continuing until his arrest in Miami, Florida, on May 17, 2005, Brice recruited females as young as 14 years of age to engage in prostitution for his own financial benefit. He caused these females to prostitute in D.C. and other locations, including Maryland, New York, and Florida. He used emotional and physical violence, including armed threats, to ensure their compliance with his rules. The indictment also alleges that he had sexual intercourse with two of his juvenile prostitutes, ages 14 and 15.
The Indictment is the most recent prosecution arising out of the efforts of the D.C. Human Trafficking Task Force and Project "Innocence Lost." Formed in November 2004, the goals of the D.C. Human Trafficking Task Force are to identify domestic and international labor and sex trafficking victims, including juveniles who are forced into prostitution, provide services for these victims, and aggressively prosecute the traffickers. The D.C. Trafficking Task Force, which the United States Attorney chairs, is made up of over 15 governmental agencies and 21 non- governmental agencies in the D.C. area.
In the spring of 2003, the Violent Crimes and Major Offenders Section of FBI headquarters, in partnership with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department's Criminal Division and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, initiated "Innocence Lost," which is designed to address the growing problem of children forced into prostitution. The FBI identified 14 field offices located in areas where there is a high incidence of child prostitution, including the Washington D.C. Field Office, and has requested these offices to address the problem. The initiative has resulted in hundreds of arrests nationwide.
There have been numerous other recent D.C. Human Trafficking Task Force prosecutions of violent pimps including Harvey Washington, aka "King Heezy," who pled guilty in D.C. Superior Court on September 21, 2005, for assault with a dangerous weapon and pandering for running a prostitution business; David Wilson, aka "King David," who pled guilty in D.C. Superior Court on September 19, 2005, for two counts of pandering, two counts of felony threats, and one count of obstruction of justice for forcing two women to engage in prostitution; and Lee Harris, aka "Black," who pled guilty in D.C. Superior Court on July 28, 2005, for pimping a 17-year-old girl.
In announcing the indictment, United States Attorney Wainstein and Assistant Attorney General Fisher praised the efforts of Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Bridget Thomas, the lead law enforcement officer on the case. They also thanked Investigator John Marsh of the U.S. Attorney's Office's Criminal Investigation Unit and Metropolitan Police Detective Jeffrey Folts. They commended the work of Victim Witness Advocates Veronica Vaughan and Tracey Yeldell, who provided invaluable support to the victims in this case and Paralegals Joyce Arthur and Amber Wetzel and Legal Assistants Donice Adams and Latasha Sams for their tremendous administrative support. Lastly, they recognized the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Sharon Marcus-Kurn and Jeanne M. Hauch and Department of Justice Attorney Myesha Braden, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a criminal violation. All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Source: U.S.Newswire

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