Deon Daniels. (Credit: Anchorage DA’s Office)
An Anchorage man charged with multiple sex trafficking crimes appeared before a judge on Friday. So far, three women have spoken out against 31-year-old Deon Daniels.
He now faces six felony charges for the alleged sex trafficking crimes.
Daniels sat quietly during his first court appearance and entered a not guilty plea on all charges– five of which claim he used force to get young victims, under 20-years-old, to engage in prostitution.
District Attorney Clint Campion believes it’s possible that over the last decade, dozens of other women have also been sex trafficked by Daniels.
Campion says this is just the beginning of a much bigger case being built against Daniels.
“I’m concerned about the demand that’s out there because these sex traffickers are responding to a demand in our community and that’s something we need to deal with as well,” Campion said.
According to the District Attorney’s office, Daniels trafficked the women through online websites like Backdoor.
Before his bail was set at $250,000, a prosecutor read the judge a list of Daniels’ more than 15 prior convictions– which include several assaults.
The DA’s office is now looking back on those crimes to determine if they are somehow connected to the sex trafficking allegations. The investigation into Daniels is ongoing.
Troopers and the DA are asking anyone with information to come forward and help them create a timeline of Daniels’ crimes.
“We are hopeful other women feel comfortable coming forward with whomever was sex trafficking them– coming forward, taking advantage of resources available to them, so they can begin to stabilize their lives and then we can begin to hold people accountable who take advantage of those women,” Campion said.
The DA’s office is working closely with sex trafficking groups that advocate for victims.
Alaska law says that if a victim or witness of sex trafficking comes forward in good faith they will not be prosecuted for engaging in prostitution.
If convicted, Daniels faces a sentence of up to 99 years in prison for sex trafficking in the first-degree.
More information about sex trafficking in Alaska and resources available to victims can be found at www.pricelessalaska.org.
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