Woodbridge Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Minor Girls
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A 65-year-old man from Woodbridge was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually exploiting two minor girls as a prostitution customer.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Steve Nowell was a frequent customer of a prostitution ring led by Michael Gunn, who sex trafficked two minor girls, ages 14 and 16, over the course of two years in the DMV area.
Nowell was identified by the minor victims and by two co-conspirators of Michael Gunn as a regular customer who paid both of the minors for sex on at least 23 occasions. Law enforcement found a hidden camera at Nowell’s home that secretly recorded at least one of the minors and other females in various stages of undress while at his residence for prostitution.
In a recorded interview, Nowell admitted to paying for sex with one of the minors, and claimed he did not know her real age. Evidence at trial revealed the minor weighed between 80 and 90 pounds while she was sexually exploited by Nowell.
In addition to the sentence of 10 years in prison, Nowell was ordered to pay $8,900 in restitution to the minor victims.
This matter was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents, along with detectives from the Fairfax County Police, Arlington County Police, Prince William County Police, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police, Alexandria City Police, Washington Metropolitan Police, Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office, George Mason University Police, United States Marshal’s Service, and agents of various Office of Inspector Generals.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Defendant: Steve Nowell
Criminal Charges: Sexually Exploiting Minor Girls
City and State: Woodbridge, Virginia
Exact Date: (Not specified in the original press release)
Sentence: 10 years in prison and $8,900 in restitution
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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