A former member of the Metropolitan Police Department has been sentenced to 27 years in prison due to his involvement in the sex trafficking of young girls in Washington, D.C., and Maryland.
Linwood Barnhill, 59, entered a guilty plea on September 17, 2025, for the sex trafficking of a minor.
As demonstrated by court documents, Barnhill enticed a 15-year-old girl who had fled home by promising her she could earn money dancing at a strip club located in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He further suggested that she could increase her earnings by engaging in sexual acts with men in private VIP rooms within the establishment.
Authorities reported that Barnhill made over $10,000 in profits from one victim he exploited.
Further investigation revealed that Barnhill paid another victim to recruit other minors, all under 18, to work as commercial sex workers for him.
These victims were taken to the home of that specific victim, where Barnhill would collect them and transport them to a street in D.C. known for commercial sex activity, according to officials.
Evidence found in Barnhill’s iCloud account included text messages from at least ten other victims discussing their work at “the club” and in “VIP rooms,” as stated by law enforcement.
Barnhill, who previously served as an officer in the seventh district, received a seven-year prison sentence in 2014 after pleading guilty to two counts of pandering a minor and possession of child pornography. This case involved recruiting two children for commercial sexual activities.
“This former officer engaged in the trafficking of children on the streets of D.C. and at a Maryland strip club. After completing his seven-year sentence, he went back to trafficking teenage girls,” stated U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “Barnhill now has 27 years to contemplate his crimes, and the community can feel safer knowing he will no longer be able to engage in trafficking activities.”
“While he was a police officer over a decade ago, Barnhill exploited underage girls, taking explicit photographs of them and coercing one victim into prostitution,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division. “Following his release from prison, he resumed the trafficking of minors for sex and pressured his victims to recruit other vulnerable girls for his exploitation. Today’s sentencing underscores the FBI’s commitment to using every resource available to imprison habitual child predators for good.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Barnhill was ordered to serve lifetime supervised release and pay $10,000 in restitution.
