Atlanta News 4:10 p.m. Thursday, March 11, 2010

Man arrested on sex trafficking charges

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Federal agents have arrested a 25-year-old Louisiana man accused of taking minors from Atlanta to Birmingham for prostitution.

Dmarcus Antwain Ward, 25, of Minden, La., was indicted on charges of sex trafficking of minors and transporting them for the purposes of prostitution, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Ward was indicted last week before a federal grand jury in Atlanta.

Ward is accused of taking two minors to Birmingham and back to Atlanta – between Sept. 2009 and Nov. 7, 2009 – to have them engage in prostitution in both cities, according to U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.

“We are committed to aggressively prosecuting anyone who exploits children through sex trafficking,” Yates said Thursday.

The sex trafficking charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. The transportation charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000.

The FBI has formed the Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force in efforts to stop human trafficking in the area.

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