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Rupa Shenoy
ST. PAUL, Minn.

Guilty plea in sex trafficking of 2 girls

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A man pleaded guilty in Ramsey County District Court on Friday to participating in the sex trafficking of two underage girls earlier this year.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi says Giorgio Jovan Baymon, 25, posted profiles and explicit photos of the two girls, ages 16 and 17, on Backpage.com in April.

Surveillance video from a hotel in Eagan recorded Baymon handing cash to co-defendant Brandon Barnes, who then paid for a room. Choi says Baymon has agreed to testify against Barnes in exchange for a sentence of 14 years in prison.

"We're holding the traffickers accountable," Choi said, "and I really believe, looking at the big picture here, one of the parts of the solution here is to really crack down on those who are doing the trafficking and making sure there's a strong message sent from our community that the selling of our girls is not welcome in this community."

Contact information for Baymon or his attorney could not immediately be located.

Choi said similar Backpage.com trafficking cases are pending.

"There's going to be more prosecutions -- there's another co-defendant in this particular case, and this particular defendant has agreed to testify against him," he said. "And we'll be seeking the appropriate consequence for the other defendant as well."