Three of four Los Angeles men facing multiple federal charges involving the alleged sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old girl were arrested Wednesday.
Darrius “Biz” Marques Sutton, 25, of Compton; Darius Dajohn Burks, 26, of Los Angeles, and his 31-year-old brother, Leprinceton “Dapper P” Dewon Burks of Carson; and Edwin Donnell Franklin, 28, of Bellflower, helped produce child pornography involving the girl, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges.
Leprinceton Burks, who also uses the name “Pete Williams,” was expected to be arrested before day’s end, officials said.
An indictment filed in Los Angeles federal court alleges four counts of conspiracy to produce child pornography. Those charges relate to incidents in July and August 2011 in which:
— Sutton and Franklin allegedly “directed” and engaged in sex acts with the victim that were recorded;
— the four men allegedly filmed the victim participating in various sex acts;
— Sutton and Darius Burks allegedly filmed “themselves and each other performing sexual acts on (the) intoxicated and unconscious (victim),” which included an act that involved an empty liquor bottle; and
— the four allegedly produced child pornography by filming sexually explicit conduct involving the victim.
The indictment also alleges a dozen counts of production of child pornography.
The child porn charges alleged in the first 16 counts of the indictment each carry a mandatory penalty of no less than 15 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.
In addition, Sutton and Leprinceton Burks are each charged with one count of possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a potential penalty of 10 years in prison.
The indictment follows a state court prosecution of the men, who were convicted of charges that include conspiracy to commit human trafficking, conspiracy to pimp a minor, sexually assaulting an unconscious victim and statutory rape.
They previously received — and completed — sentences of up to four years and four months in state prison, federal prosecutors said.
In the previous case, the men were accused of transporting minors from the Inland Empire to Long Beach to work as prostitutes in North Hollywood.
At the time, police described Sutton and the Burks as East Coast Crips gang members.
— Wire reports