Couple charged in sex trafficking

A former Blue Springs man and woman have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to the sex trafficking of the woman’s daughter – which prosecutors say is the first time nationwide that a parent of the victim has been charged with commercial sex trafficking of their own minor child in a human trafficking case.

Todd B. Barkau, 35, of New York, previously of Blue Springs, was charged in a seven-count indictment that alleges that from Jan. 1, 2000, to Feb. 20, 2005, Barkau participated in a venture to entice a minor to engage in commercial sex acts. He is also charged with one count of selling a child for sexual exploitation, two counts of inducing a child who was in his custody and control to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the production of visual depictions, one count of advertising and publishing a notice of images that involve the sexual exploitation of a child, one count of the enticement of a child to engage in prohibited sexual conduct and one count of transferring obscene material to a minor.

The victim’s mother, who is not being identified in order to protect the victim’s identity, is also charged with participating in a venture to entice a minor to engage in commercial sex acts and with inducing a child who was in her custody and control to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the production of visual depictions.

Barkau is accused of obtaining control of the 12-year-old girl in 2000 and sexually grooming and training her to become a sexual dominatrix. He allegedly did so by engaging in sexual activities with her himself, forcing her to engage in sexual activities with other men while he watched, and using pornography over the Internet to teach her techniques and skills to use as a dominatrix.

When the child was 14 years old, Barkau allegedly created a business out of his home where he advertised the child over the Internet as a 19-to-20-year-old dominatrix, “Mistress Alisha,” on a Web site that he created. For two years, Barkau allegedly had the child, as “Mistress Alisha,” sexually dominate men in performances during online video sessions and in person.

Barkau reportedly used the victim’s mother, who lived in Barkau’s residence with him and the child, to assist and encourage the child to serve as the child dominatrix for his illegal business. In exchange for her assistance, Barkau allegedly provided the victim’s mother with financial and other benefits that he obtained from the “Mistress Alisha” business.

The federal indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the co-defendants to forfeit to the government $80,000, which represents some of the proceeds that the defendants earned from the alleged offenses.

The indictment against Barkau was returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on Wednesday, according to a release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Barkau was arrested on Friday and had his initial court appearance in the Western District of New York on Saturday.

The victim’s mother was also arrested on Friday, and had her initial court appearance Monday in the Northern District of Texas. Both defendants will be transported to the Western District of Missouri at a later date.

Both Barkau and the woman could serve up to a maximum sentence of life in federal prison without parole.