Port Royal Man Charged with Sex Trafficking of Underage Girl

A History of Crime Resurfaces

Another dark chapter has been added to the long and troubling history of 28-year-old former Port Royal resident, Jaquan Duvall Barnes. The local man has been charged with sex trafficking of a minor, the first time such a charge has been applied in the region.

The arrest occurred on Tuesday, after Hardeeville patrol officers pursuing a local tip about a suspect pulled over Barnes’ vehicle near the U.S. 17/I-95 junction. Despite a thwarted attempted escape, the suspect was arrested, leading to a grim discovery inside his car: an underage girl reported missing from the Beaufort County.

Breaking New Ground in Legal Charges

While this is the first time Barnes faces this specific charge, the severity of the situation is underlined by the fact that South Carolina law defines the felony offense as the transportation of a person for the exchange of sexual acts. If the victim is under 18, sentencing could reach up to 30 years in prison.

There have been no instances of sex trafficking of a minor in South Carolina’s 14th Judicial Circuit prior to this case, dating back to records from 2016. Notably, the charge did not exist in state law until 2018, when fresh statutes added harsher penalties for cases involving underage victims.

Recurring History of Criminal Offenses

This incident merely typifies Barnes’ long-standing criminal history. In 2015, he conceded to two counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor in the Beaufort County court. Furthermore, during a May 2018 incident in Sandy Springs, a city north of Atlanta, Barnes attracted charges of pimping a minor and trafficking a person for sexual servitude.

The 2018 fiasco culminated in a police pursuit after officers saw him escorting an underage female into a Marriott hotel. Barnes attempted to flee, resulting in a chaotic car crash and a gunshot wound to his hand from pursuing officers. Although he was released from the hospital, pending charges in Fulton County court still hang over him due to a missed court appearance.

Previous Convictions

Barnes’ record also includes a January 2018 incident where he reportedly shot a man during a drug deal in Conway, S.C. whilst being wanted by the GBI for aggravated assault. His felony charges dropped, but a guilty plea to armed robbery warranted a prison sentence of approximately three years.

Even before these incidents, Barnes had already racked up numerous convictions in Beaufort County from 2013 to 2015. His offenses primarily include theft charges, such as two counts of felony larceny, five counts of larceny from a vehicle, in addition to possession of cocaine and two burglary counts, one of which was tagged as violent.

Unresolved Criminal Status

Once again, Barnes is back into the hands of law enforcement. He remains in custody at the Jasper County Detention Center, and is expected to be transported to Beaufort County jail for unresolved warrants. His extradition timeline remains unclear, but the charges against him will be prosecuted by the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

Regardless of the multitude of offenses under his name, Barnes seems to have pushed his criminal record beyond the pale with sex trafficking charges, marking a distressing first for the region.

Source: HERE News Network.