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Man accused of human trafficking guilty on 9 of 29 charges in Warren County

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Posted at 1:42 PM, Nov 06, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-06 13:42:31-05

WARREN COUNTY — A Cincinnati man accused of human trafficking was found guilty of nine of 29 charges he originally faced in Warren County Common Pleas Court.

After four hours of deliberations on Thursday, David Barron, 38, was found guilty of three counts each of of trafficking in persons and promoting prostitution, two counts of felonious assault and one count of unlawful restraint.

The jury deliberated on 15 of 29 charges, also including compelling prostitution, rape and corrupting another with drugs.

Judge Robert Peeler dismissed 14 charges before the lawyers made their final arguments to the jury on Thursday, the fourth day of the trial.

Barron nearly took the stand against his lawyer’s advice, but ultimately declined to testify in his defense.

“He’s a freak,” Kaspar said during his final statement.

Assistant County Prosecutor Derek Faulkner urged the jury to find Barron guilty on all the remaining charges.

In his closing statements, Faulkner reviewed evidence and testimony designed to prove Barron used force, fear, “duress” and intimidation to get the two women to prostitution with customers, drawn by on-line advertisements, in March, April and May.

“I’m not gone gonna keep you all night babe,” said one text message Faulkner displayed for the jury to show Barron was directing the two women in the acts of prostitution, while keeping them unclothed in the hotel rooms.

Faulkner also showed pictures of bruises and cigarette burn marks, a video of one of the women being slapped while committing oral sex and a threat to post video on Facebook unless they complied with his directions and turned over the money paid by the “johns.”

Barron remained in the Warren County Jail on $500,000 bond, while awaiting sentencing.