Iowa Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking

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- Iowa Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Multiple Victims
  An eight-count indictment in the Northern District of Iowa has been unsealed, charging a Des Moines man with four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and four counts of interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution through coercion and enticement.
  According to the indictment dated July 21, 2025, Marlin Santana Thomas Sr., 49, used force, fraud, and coercion to cause four adult women to engage in commercial sex acts in the Northern District of Iowa. The indictment also alleges that Thomas transported women from Iowa to Illinois and North Dakota for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.
  The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. It also carries a minimum of five years of supervised release up to a lifetime of supervised release along with a fine of up to $250,000. Finally, restitution is mandatory upon any conviction for sex trafficking. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence upon any conviction after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
  The FBI and Des Moines Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Nydle for the Northern District of Iowa and Trial Attorney Slava Kuperstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
  The FBI is asking that anyone with information about Thomas to contact the Omaha Field Office at 402-493-8688. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
  Trump Administration Guts Office to Combat H.T.
  The Trump administration gutted the State Department office that combats human trafficking. Federal employees in the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons were “surprised and disappointed” by the mass cuts, given that republicans have made trafficking a major talking point in recent years.
  About a dozen left as part of the president’s voluntary resignation program earlier this year. Then, on Friday, July 18, half of the remaining workers were fired, and the other half were demoted. “We really thought that the broad bipartisan support we have had for 25 years, ever since the Trafficking Victims Protection Act passed in 2000, would provide us some protection, and it did not. And I think people are really both surprised and disappointed,” said Cindy Dyer, a former employee at the State Department’s Anti-Trafficking Unit who also previously worked in the Bush and Biden administrations.
  A different federal government employee — who spoke anonymously due to fear of retaliation —agreed with Dyer, saying, “To have this administration cut funding so significantly has just been a huge blow to the progress that has been made over the last several decades.”
  After One Life Sentence Tossed on Appeal, Des Moines Man Faces New Sex Trafficking Charges
  Federal prosecutors have brought new sex trafficking charges against a Des Moines man more than two years after his previous conviction on similar charges was dismissed on appeal.
  Marlin Santana Thomas Jr., 50, was charged in 2020 with sex trafficking and other offenses involving six women and one minor; investigators testified that nearly a dozen other victims had been identified but declined to take part in the case.
  He pleaded guilty in 2021 to six charges and was sentenced to life in prison, with the judge condemning the “unspeakable depravity” of Thomas’ actions.
  Prosecutors and victims described how Thomas used drugs and guns to control women and force them to have sex with him and other men, leaving deep emotional and physical wounds. At least two women Thomas admitted to victimizing died of overdoses, one shortly after being contacted by investigators, and one just days before she was to speak at his sentencing. In January 2023, however, a federal appeals court reversed Thomas’ convictions and ordered him set free.
  Thomas was first investigated and pleaded guilty to federal charges in a 2018 heroin trafficking case. Investigators found evidence during that case of sex trafficking, and later followed up with additional charges.
  But in his plea agreement for drug trafficking, prosecutors with the Southern District of Iowa had agreed not to bring any further charges related to that investigation. The appeals court found that all of Thomas’ sex-trafficking charges were brought in violation of that agreement and ordered them dismissed.
  Now, he’s facing federal charges again, this time in Cedar Rapids federal court. A new federal indictment, filed July 9 and unsealed July 18, charges Thomas with four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and four counts of transporting a victim for prostitution by coercion or enticement, involving at least four women.
  The offenses allegedly occurred between 2009 and 2015, and included transporting women for prostitution to or from Illinois and North Dakota. If convicted, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, he could once again face life in prison.
  It’s not clear if the new allegations also stem from evidence tracing back to Thomas’ original drug trafficking case. However, nonprosecution agreements like the one that scuttled Thomas’ first sex trafficking case usually only apply to the specific prosecutors’ office making the deal, meaning that prosecutors for the Northern District of Iowa, which covers Cedar Rapids and the northern half of the state, may not be bound by its terms.
  Man Arrested After Years of Explicit Chats with Person He Believed was a Female Minor
  A Des Moines man was arrested last month after allegedly sending explicit messages to a person he believed was a minor for several years.
  Investigators say 32-year-old Dustin Michael Collins initiated contact with a detective posing as a female minor on social media. According to court documents, he was informed multiple times that the person he was contacting was under the age of 18.
  From 2022 to 2025, Collins allegedly continued to talk to the detective, which “often included sexual conversations.”
  Court documents say he sent an explicit photo of himself, requested nude photos, and tried to meet with someone he thought was a minor, reportedly expressing his desire to perform sex acts with them.
  Collins is facing multiple charges that include grooming, sexual exploitation of a minor, and dissemination of obscene material to a minor.
- September 11 Webinar on Responses to Labor Trafficking
  Event Dates: September 11, 2025, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
  Location: Online/Register here
  This webinar by the federal office for victims of crime will examine how trafficking operations often infiltrate legitimate industries and how state resources can be employed to detect and disrupt them. The presenter will share strategies for identifying relevant state agencies responsible for both business oversight and the protection of vulnerable populations. Focus will include how Offices of the Attorney General—regardless of their specific authority—can lead collaborative efforts to hold traffickers accountable.
  Labor traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals and utilize gaps within labor markets. Addressing the widespread nature of labor trafficking requires a coordinated and comprehensive approach that includes victim identification and support, as well as the investigation and prosecution of offenders. State-level efforts can effectively combat labor trafficking by building multidisciplinary coalitions, engaging state agencies with regulatory authority over businesses, and harnessing the leadership of state Offices of the Attorney General.
  New Resource Available: Domestic Violence and Trafficking Support Guide
  Iowa Secretary of State recently announced a new comprehensive Domestic Violence and Trafficking Resource Booklet, now available in limited quantities for community advocacy agencies and supporting community partners. This essential guide provides the information, resources, and tools that can make a real difference in recognizing and responding to these crimes.
  Whether you’re seeking help for yourself, supporting someone you care about, or expanding your knowledge to better protect your workplace, this booklet contains valuable insights and direct connections to organizations dedicated to helping survivors.
  Inside, you’ll find Iowa-specific hotlines, guidance on recognizing warning signs, steps for creating safer workplace policies, and practical resources for supporting survivors.
  To request your copy, contact the SAH team.
  Help the NAHT to Celebrate its 20th Anniversary
  The NAHT is celebrating its 20th anniversary since being founding in 2005. Please consider honoring this milestone by supporting Iowa’s only statewide non-profit all-volunteer organization fighting human trafficking. You can help us reach our $20,000 20th anniversary fundraising goal by tapping here. Thus far, NAHT supporters have donated nearly $10,000 toward the 20th anniversary goal.
  Here is a photo of NAHT advocate and board member Karl Schilling, who posted his support of the 20th anniversary funding campaign by holding up his poster. The poster provides a space to answer the question, “I support the NAHT…”. Karl’s personal statement: “I retired from the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and have been involved with the Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance for upwards of 40 years. Whether the issue is civil rights and treating people equally or supporting victims of crime, the central element is empathy. To paraphrase Piper Kirnan, author of “Orange Is the New Black.” the basis of all crime is indifference to the pain of others. The Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking isn’t just about fighting crimes. It’s about promoting love.”
  Creighton University asks Asks Iowa Youth to be Part of an HT Study
  My name is Nick Nondorf, and I am a student researcher in the Human Trafficking Prevention and Rehabilitation Lab at Creighton University. I am reaching out about a research opportunity, and I would really appreciate it if you could share the attached flyer with the NAHT.
  This research is led by an interdisciplinary team of experts in human trafficking and public health, and we are investigating the exposure of young adults in the United States to human trafficking online and in-person recruitment strategies. We are also interested in assessing their self-perceived risk of human trafficking. The data will be collected through an anonymous online survey, and no specific personal data will be collected. I am attaching the flyer outlining the study purpose and participant eligibility. This study was approved by the Creighton University IRB Board, and the number of the IRB approval is included on the flyer as well.
  Our research team would greatly appreciate it if you could facilitate the dissemination of this information among undergraduate students within your academic institution. If you don’t believe you are the right person to disseminate this information, please forward this info to the individuals at your institution who can help with this dissemination, or please advise us whom to reach out to.
  Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or need clarification! We thank you in advance for your support and collaboration with this important work affecting youth and young adults in our communities!
  Child Sex Trafficking in an Underground Bunker
  Authorities have recently arrested three additional suspects in connection with a disturbing child abuse and sex trafficking case involving an underground bunker, bringing the total number of arrests to seven.
  The investigation, which began on Feb. 4, was initiated following a report of possible child abuse involving an underground bunker near Brent, Alabama.
  During a press conference on Wednesday, Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade identified the newly arrested individuals as Rebecca Brewer, Ricky Terrell, and Sarah Louis Terrell. Wade detailed the charges against each suspect, noting that charges are still pending for Brewer, Ricky Terrell, and Sarah Louis Terrell.
  Victims in the case range from ages 3 to 15, with some of the offenders being parents of the victims, authorities said. Wade also revealed that one of the suspects has ties to a gang known for profiting from child sex crimes.
  William Chase McElroy is charged with four counts of first-degree rape, six counts of first-degree sodomy, six counts of human trafficking, and four counts of first-degree human trafficking. Dalton Terrell faces five counts of first-degree rape, seven counts of first-degree sodomy, six counts of human trafficking, and four counts of first-degree kidnapping. Andres Trejo-Velazquez is charged with six counts of human trafficking. Timothy St. John was taken into custody on Tuesday, facing multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree rape, four counts of sodomy, four counts of human trafficking, three counts of kidnapping, one count of bestiality, and one count of cruelty to animals.
  Brewer faces eight counts of human trafficking, eight counts of first-degree human kidnapping, and three counts of sexual torture. Ricky Terrell is charged with one count of rape, with additional charges pending. Sarah Louis Terrell is charged with one count of sexual torture and two counts of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old.
  “The bunker that the children were housed in was reportedly an underground storm shelter that was built for a good thing protecting life, and used for a horrible thing,” Wade told reporters.
  The offenders would allegedly arrange and pay for what was described as “appointments” to abuse the children in the underground bunker.
  U.S Supreme Court Upholds Age Verification
  Last month, the U.S Supreme Court ruled that Texas’s age verification law, which requires that pornography websites verify users are 18+ before granting them access, is CONSTITUTIONAL!
  This is the most significant victory for protecting children from pornography that our nation has seen in decades. The Supreme Court’s ruling creates an important precedent, paving the way for other states to pass age verification legislation as well.
  Without age verification, all of the world’s most abusive, violent, and pornographic content is accessible to children with a simple Google search. Countless children even stumble on this content accidentally. That’s why last month’s decision by the Supreme Court is so critical.
  We are thrilled to be celebrating this moment in history with you! Today, we are one major step closer to a world where the pornography industry can no longer prey on our children!
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