A Las Vegas man faces 18 years in state prison after an Orange County jury found him guilty of human trafficking, firearms possession, and pandering felonies for exploiting a 17-year-old girl in Anaheim.
Prosecutors said he used violence and a gun to keep the teen under control during commercial sex, and jurors approved enhancements for his personal use of the firearm. Police discovered the victim after responding to a report from a motel on the 700 block of S. Beach Boulevard.
Anaheim police were called at 9:15 p.m. on May 30 to report a possible juvenile prostitute at a motel in the 700 block of S. Beach Boulevard. Officers apprehended the 17-year-old and initiated a human trafficking investigation. Approximately two hours later, the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force located and arrested 47-year-old Donald Leonidas Newton III in Stanton. A loaded gun was discovered during a search warrant at the motel room, according to a City of Anaheim press statement.
Newton was convicted by jurors of human trafficking a juvenile, pimping a kid over 16, and pandering to a youngster over the age of 16. They also discovered legitimate sentencing increases for his personal use of a handgun. The 18-year sentence followed testimony that Newton pointed a gun at the victim’s head, and prosecutors claimed in court he also attempted to pistol-whip her and subjected her to other “discipline,” factors that contributed to the length of the sentence, according to MyNewsLA.
Prosecutors filed charges under California laws that involve pimping and pandering to minors, as well as human trafficking (PC 266h(b)(1), PC 266i(a)/(b)(1), and PC 236.1(c)). The case was later enlarged to include counts for felons possessing a firearm and prohibited persons possessing ammunition. According to the City of Anaheim, the prosecution was led by the Orange County District Attorney’s HEAT Unit in collaboration with the regional task force.
Newton’s attorney, Vu Tran, told the court that the teen had been working in commercial sex for years before meeting Newton and claimed she lied about her age. The defense requested the judge restrict the punishment to five years. According to court records published by MyNewsLA, the victim had at least one commercial sex session in Pomona for $40; Newton “disciplined” her there, and he had taken her previous earnings.
According to officials, the case highlights the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force and local police’s collaborative efforts. Newton’s arrest was initially reported last year in connection with a Las Vegas suspect apprehended in an Anaheim motel trafficking scheme. Polaris operates the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which can be accessed at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting BEFREE to 233733.