Tennessee man accused of sex trafficking 14 yr old across state lines

Description

The trial of a Tennessee man accused of taking a 14-year-old girl across state lines to Richmond for prostitution has been moved to Aug. 7 because he wants to represent himself.

Dwane Washington, 32, of Memphis, was set to be tried starting Thursday in federal court in Richmond. He was arrested in April, accused of assisting the runaway girl from Baltimore to engage in prostitution in several states.

court papers show that on April 25 the Richmond FBI office learned that a cellphone number belonging to the 14-year-old runaway girl had been traced to the Midlothian Turnpike area.

Police in Maryland determined that the girl, using the false name "Stacy," had been posting online advertisements on a website often used by pimps and prostitutes.

The website has a disclaimer warning the "escorts" section contains sexual content, including nudity and adult language and is to be accessed only by people 18 or older.

Viewers are told to report suspected exploitation of minors and/or human trafficking to the appropriate authorities.

An undercover FBI agent contacted "Stacy" at a telephone number posted in her advertisement that indicated she was 19.

The agent made a date with her and she told the agent she charged $200 an hour. She directed him to a motel in the 6300 bock of Midlothian Turnpike.

The girl eventually confirmed her true identity, admitted she smoked crack cocaine and that she had also engaged in prostitution in Alabama, Tennessee, Nevada and California, according to an FBI affidavit.

She told authorities she gave her prostitution earnings to Washington, and that he was aware she was a juvenile. Washington allegedly told the FBI that he met the girl through an online advertisement and traveled with her but denied he was her pimp.

On Friday, Washington, who wants to represent himself, asked U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr., to delay his trial so that he would have time to prepare his case. Gibney granted the motion Monday and set the two-day trial for Aug. 7.

NOTE: The locations in Tennessee where the child was prostituted are unknown; we placed this on the map in the state capitol of Nashville by default.