On Valentine’s Day, the FBI issued an arrest warrant for 24-year-old Gary O’Neal Bell, who is wanted for child sex trafficking.
The FBI is looking to track down Bell for “facilitating commercial sex for an underage female over a series of months,” according to a statement released both by the FBI and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, Patch.com reports.
Bell has been declared armed and dangerous. He’s a black man who is approximately 145 pounds and 5 feet, 8 inches tall.
Below his right eye is a cross tattoo.
Authorities stated they will pay out $2,000 for information that leads to Bell’s arrest and have encouraged members of the public who might have any knowledge of the situation to contact the Child Exploitation Force at 202-278-2000, or call the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099.
The Washington Post reported in January that there is a shocking amount of child sex trafficking occurring in the nation’s capital.
According to U.S. attorney spokesman Bill Miller, “Since 2009, about 70 defendants have been prosecuted in [federal and D.C. courts] on charges related to human trafficking . . . including abducting or enticing a child into prostitution.”
The problem is apparently severe enough that it infected the D.C. police department itself.
In 2014, Linwood Barnhill, a former D.C. police officer, was sentenced to seven years in prison for pimping teenage girls. Upon his release, Barnhill will be subject to 10 years of supervision and must register as a sex offender.
The attorney for one of the teenage girls said his client was too afraid to talk, as she thought more police officers could be involved.
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