Linwood Barnhill, a registered sex offender in Washington, D.C., has been arrested and federally charged with sex trafficking children by force and other related offenses. The charges were announced following his arrest on May 1, 2025. The alleged crimes are said to have occurred from April 1, 2024, to April 29, 2025.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., alongside FBI Special Agent Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Barnhill, who previously served as an officer with the MPD, faces multiple charges including sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; sex trafficking of children; coercion and enticement; transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; and interstate travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises. According to the criminal complaint, Barnhill allegedly recruited minors for commercial sex acts and financially benefited from these activities.
The case is under investigation by the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell is prosecuting the case.
This case falls under the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. Established in February 2006 by the Attorney General, this initiative aims to protect children from online exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts at federal, state, and local levels to apprehend individuals exploiting children via the Internet.
For further details about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
