Photo by Kim Veis.

A former D.C. cop was sentenced to seven years in prison today for forcing two minors into the sex trade and taking unclothed photographs of three minors.

Linwood Barnhill pleaded guilty to two counts of pandering a minor and one count of possession of child pornography as part of a plea. He will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

In explaining the plea deal, prosecutors said two of the victims — one 15, the other 16, and both “chronic runaways” — were in “fragile” conditions after being victimized by Barnhill. “The resolution of this case would spare her from the pain and humiliation caused by having to testify at a public trial,” prosecutors said of the 15-year-old victim, who was forced into sexual acts with an anonymous man. “The plea and recommended sentence protects the privacy of these young victims, and prevents them from having to relive their victimization in a public setting.”

While he could not comment on the Barnhill case specifically, William Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney for D.C., said his office works with the Human Trafficking Task Force on cases that involve child sex trafficking. The partners “try to keep them housed, fed, and when appropriate, try to re-connect them with family,” he said.

“If there are witness security issues, we address these concerns by providing appropriate services, including relocation,” Miller continued. “We also provide referrals for counseling and work with counselors who are specifically trained in addressing issues relating to victims of sex trafficking. We do all that we can to help these victims recover from the trauma of trafficking.”

Barnhill’s attorney argued that his “depression greatly contributed to his bad decisions.”