COVINGTON, Ga. — A Newton County jury convicted a Brooklyn man of sex trafficking this week.
Daniel L. Wilson, 36, was found guilty of four counts in a trial in Newton County Superior Court before Alcovy Circuit Judge Ken Wynne.
Wilson faced charges of trafficking persons for sexual servitude; exploitation and intimidation of a disabled adult, elder person or resident and pandering by compulsion, all felonies; and pimping, a misdemeanor.
Wilson and co-defendant Jacquelyn Roman were charged with bringing a young woman with intellectual disabilities from Brooklyn to Newton County for the purpose of exploiting her through prostitution. In May 2014, the victim reported to law enforcement she had been advertised on a website and forced into prostitution by use of coercion including both physical and psychological abuse.
Roman pleaded guilty to the same charges in 2016, but the Newton County district attorney’s office said Wilson failed to appear for trial the same year and was captured in New York in 2017. He has been in the Newton County Detention Center since April 21, 2017, according to online jail records.
District Attorney Layla Zon tried the case along with Investigator Kelly Whire, victim/witness advocate Cindy Hooper and legal assistant Cindi Malcom.
Porterdale police and Special Agent Elizabeth Bigham of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.
Wynne set sentencing of Wilson for May 16. Wilson remains in the Newton County Detention Center until then.
Roman is serving a 20-year sentence on the sex trafficking charge, but she is to be released no later than Aug. 28, 2021. She also was sentenced to seven years for pandering and three years for theft of a credit card.
She is serving her time in the Arrendale State Prison in Habersham County.
Man convicted of stalking
A Covington man was convicted of stalking Monday after a brief trial.
Adeniyi Sunday Sanyalou, 50, was convicted of aggravated stalking and influencing a witness Monday after a trial before Senior Judge Michael Hancock in Newton County Superior Court.
Hancock sentenced Sanyalou to 15 years in prison.
Assistant District Attorney Alex Stone prosecuted the case with help from Investigator Josh Shumate, victim advocate Asia Reese and Malcom. The Newton County Sheriff’s Office made the initial arrests.Sanyalou remained in the Newton County Detention Center as of Thursday afternoon.
