The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. A jury deliberated about 90 minutes before finding Jarod Earl Anderson, 35, guilty on four charges, including human trafficking of a minor, a law that increased the penalty upon conviction to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The jury also found Anderson guilty of third-degree sexual abuse, pimping and two charges of sexual exploitation of a minor. The jurors were individually polled on each charge and confirmed their unanimous verdicts. This was the first case charged in Linn County and the first to go to trial in Iowa under the new human trafficking of a minor law. Their guilty verdict reflects the seriousness of the crimes committed and ensures that justice has been served for the victim in this case.
The teen, who spoke in a low and quiet voice, became upset at different times during testimony and, at one point, said she felt sick to her stomach, and a brief recess was called. She admitted to making poor decisions but wanted to get out of Dubuque because there was a warrant for her arrest. Tana Torres, was introduced as Banks, she said. Anderson gave her a bag with tequila and the mushrooms. The teen recalled Anderson taking photos of her naked at the hotel on his cellphone. Torres did not take any pictures, she said.
Anderson then sexually abused her while Torres was present. The teen said after the photos, she had planned to see a friend in Cedar Rapids. Brown was charged with prostitution in the investigation, but he died and the charge against him was dismissed in October, according to court records. During these incidents, the teen had her phone and tried to contact her sisters and others for help.
She also was worried about her outstanding warrant if she contacted police. She said Anderson left the room when men arrived to have sex with her. Sometime on May 22, she got out of the hotel room while Anderson was away but Torres and two men were there. The teen or her mother called Jesse Simmons, a former youth service worker with Four Oaks, who knew the teen from her time at the juvenile facility.
