Dover Air Force base airman sentenced to 10 years for sex trafficking teenage girl

Dalian Washington, one of two Dover airmen who pleaded guilty to having sex with a runaway 15-year-old girl, will spend 10 years in prison.

Washington, 25 of Philadelphia, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware Tuesday. In October, he pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a child and prosecutors dropped charges of conspiracy and sex abuse of a minor.

Washington was 24 and an airman living at Dover Air Force Base when he bought his 15-year-old victim for sex, according to court documents. The teenager was in court for the sentencing and issued a statement through an attorney.

"Why do you want me to feel like less of a human?" the victim said. "Why instead of help me, you destroy me?"

He arranged the crime with a 16-year-old acquaintance, who knew a 15-year-old girl looking for a place to stay. He paid around $15 and both had the understanding sex was part of the arrangement, court documents stated.

"This didn't start out where Mr. Washington was looking for someone of a tender age," said Edson Bostic, a public defender representing Washington.

Washington first picked up the girl from the Dover DMV bus stop. On the way back to the barracks, she informed him she was 15 years old and he said they'd have to keep their interaction a secret, court documents stated.

Washington had unprotected sex with the girl. She stayed at his barracks room on and off for months from September 2015 to January 2016 and he continued to have unprotected sex with her, court documents state. He also recorded her performing oral sex, court documents state.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth L. Van Pelt said investigators had uncovered that Washington had sexual relationships with other underage girls.

OTHER AIR FORCE ABUSE CASES:

Dover airman accused of raping teen met on Tinder

Dover airman gets prison for sexually abusing 15-year-old girl

Washington's friend and fellow airman, Akeem Beazer, also had sex with the girl, according to court documents. In January, he was sentenced to two and a half years in jail after pleading guilty to sex abuse of a minor.

Van Pelt said Beazer's crimes were more opportunistic whereas Washington sought out and initiated bringing the girl on base for sex. She also noted the victim reported that Washington treated her more harshly than Beazer.

In recommending a 10-year sentence, prosecutors said Washington acted callow toward his "essentially homeless" victim.

Washington told U.S. District Court Judge Gregory M. Sleet he took responsibility for his actions and apologized to the victim and her family.

"In no way shape or form did I want to bring more hardship to her life," Washington said.

Bostic, Washington's attorney, told Sleet that at times Washington sought to help his victim.

"Unfortunately, the help did come with strings attached," Bostic said.

Sleet acknowledged Washington's difficult upbringing, helping raise his sisters with a lack of parental guidance. Despite that, his current crime was his first interaction with the justice system, Sleet noted.

"This is one of the most difficult sentencings I have ever had," Sleet said.

The crime Washington pleaded to brings a mandatory 10-year sentence. Sleet said he would have liked to veer from that.

"I don't know what I would have given you, but both sides acknowledge (10 years) is a lot of time," Sleet said.

Before he was indicted, the Air Force was in the process of discharging Washington for dereliction of duty and other infractions, court documents stated.

Two other Dover airmen have been charged with having sex with underage girls in the past year.

Zepplin Taylor-McGinness, a 21-year-old, admitted to investigators he raped a 14-year-old girl as many as five times over a few months after meeting her on Tinder. She also had run away from home.

Byron White, 34, was a sergeant who had been charged with nine counts of raping a 14-year-old he met on Facebook. The victim became pregnant after their eight-month sexual relationship, according to court documents.

Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter.

Contact Josephine Peterson at (302) 379-0391 or jhpeterson@delawareonline. Follow her @jopeterson93.