Project Safe Childhood Leads to Several Convictions This Week

Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative partnering local police with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to combat child sexual exploitation, contributed to the conviction of three men this week. After a three-week trial, three individuals have been found guilty of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

Dkyle Jamal Bridges, 33, of Claymont, Delaware, and Kristian Jones, 25, and Anthony Jones, 35, both of Wilmington, Delaware, were found guilty of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and of minors, as well as sex trafficking three minors by force, fraud or coercion.

Bridges was also found guilty of sex trafficking two adults by force, fraud, or coercion.

According to evidence presented during the three week trial and released in a Department of Justice press release, from 2012 to 2017, Bridges, Jones, and Jones ran a prostitution enterprise throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

Bridges engaged in violent coercion and threats to force adult and minor females into commercial sex work. Kristian and Anthony Jones helped run the operation by providing security and reserving hotel rooms for Bridges.

An investigation into the activity began when a local police officer rescued two minors who had been advertised for prostitution on Backpage.com. Local law enforcement identified additional victims on this website.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Tinicum Township Police Department; Newark, Delaware Police Department; Delaware State Police; Philadelphia Police Department; Delaware River & Bay Authority and Wilmington Police Department.

This investigation is part of the ongoing Project Safe Childhood, which has been working with state and local police departments since 2006 to “locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.”

Since the project launched in 2006, Project Safe Childhood has led to a 40 percent increase in the number of cases and defendants prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The project’s chief focuses include child pornography; online enticement of children for sexual purposes; commercial sexual exploitation of children; and child sex tourism.

The project also submits to Congress its achievements, its cooperation with other agencies, and its legislative recommendations for better addressing child sex crime in the country.

The project is led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.