A 47-year-old Las Vegas man with a previous felony conviction was convicted Thursday of human trafficking of a 17-year-old girl in Anaheim.
Anaheim Police Department officers responded to a report of an underage prostitute about 9:15 p.m. May 30 at the Moonlight Motel on Beach Boulevard, prosecutors said in a trial brief. The victim told police she had been working as a prostitute “for the past few days under a new pimp,” prosecutors said.
Donald Leonidas Newton III approached the victim, who had been working as a prostitute in San Diego, several times before persuading her to go with him, prosecutors said. Newton had her work in Pomona on May 29 and then the two went to Anaheim, where she made $2,500 and gave it to Newton, prosecutors said.
“At some point that day, defendant became irritated with victim for not listening to him and attempted to `pistol whip’ her leg with a handgun, but missed,” prosecutors said.
When Newton left her alone later she called her mother and police, prosecutors said.
Newton was convicted of human trafficking of a minor, pimping a minor over the age of 16, pandering with a minor older than 16, possession of a gun by a felon and a prohibited person owning ammunition, all felonies. Jurors also found true sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a gun.
Newton was scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 19.