September 14, 2021
Reno, NV –Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced that Nicholas
Verlon Dykes, 23, of Reno, was sentenced to up to eight years in prison for
inducing a person to engage in prostitution by use of force or immediate threat
of force. The crimes were committed on or about February 17, 2020.
Second
Judicial District Court Chief Judge Scott Freeman sentenced Dykes to 12 to 36
months in the Nevada Department of Corrections for the crime of Coercion, a
category “B” felony, and 24-60 months for the crime of Pandering, a category
“C” felony. Both counts will run consecutive
to each other for a total of 36-96 months.
“Too
often victims forced into prostitution do not see their victimizer sentenced,” said AG Ford. “However, today was not
one of those days. A Reno woman is finally free from the threat of force and has
a fresh start. As attorney general, it is my job to pursue justice, and I would
like to thank the members of my office who worked vigorously on this case.”
To
report instances of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking
Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. The National Human Trafficking
Resource Center is a national, toll-free hotline available to answer calls from
anywhere in the country 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Individuals may also
call the U.S. Department of Justice Hotline at 1-888-428-7581 or call the local
authorities. For more information on human trafficking, the warning signs and
how you can help fight this epidemic, visit the Office of the Nevada Attorney
General’s website here.
The investigation of this case was conducted
by the FBI Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking
Task Force.
The Attorney General’s Criminal Prosecution Division prosecuted this case.
The amended criminal
Information against Nicholas Verlon Dykes is attached.
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