NATIONAL BRIEFING / MISSOURI
A man and a woman accused of training the woman’s then-12-year-old daughter as a sexual dominatrix and prostituting her online pleaded guilty Thursday in a deal that will send both to prison.
Todd Barkau, 37, and the girl’s 45-year-old mother each pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a child after prosecutors agreed to drop other charges. Barkau will spend 25 years in prison without parole, and the girl’s mother will serve 15 years.
The two lived in Blue Springs, Mo., when Barkau began having sex with the girl in 2000 when she was 12, showing her how to perform sex acts with men including bondage and sadomasochism.
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