Child Sex Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Prison
Prostituted a 13-Year-Old Girl and Gave Her Alcohol and Drugs

GREENBELT, MD—Chief U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Daniel Burton, a/k/a Snoop, age 30, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, today to 262 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Judge Chasanow ordered that upon his release from prison, Burton must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

“This is an egregious case because the 'prostitute' was a 13-year-old child,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “The lengthy sentence should send a powerful message that sex trafficking of children will not be tolerated in Maryland.”

According to his plea agreement, in March 2008, Burton asked a 13-year-old girl walking near her home for her phone number, which she provided. Burton began calling the girl and eventually recruited her to work as a prostitute. Burton drove her to hotels, photographed her in lingerie, and advertised her on Craigslist for sexual services. The girl had sex with many clients that responded to the ads, and Burton kept all the money she earned. Burton provided the girl with alcohol, marijuana, and ecstasy.

On April 1, 2008, police responded to a complaint at a hotel where they found Burton and the girl in a room. Burton claimed the girl was a relative and police arranged for the girl to return home. Burton subsequently picked the girl up at her home and continued prostituting her.

On April 8, 2008, law enforcement saw a Craigslist ad for the girl’s sexual services and arranged a “date.” Law enforcement arrived at the hotel and arrested Burton who was sitting outside. The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force (MCETF), created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from 10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Task Force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.

MCETF partners with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney LisaMarie Freitas of the U.S. Justice Department, Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristi N. O'Malley, who prosecuted the case