In Kansas City, Mo two people are facing prison who “pimped” out a girl since the age of 12. The two people are Todd Barkau age 37 and the girl’s mother, who will remain anonymous to preserve the girl’s identity, is age 45. The girl first was forced to sleep with Barkau so he could train her in sexual bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism. When she was 14 her mother created a website and offered her to anyone who would pay for sadomasochistic fantasies. She was, at this time, known as “Mistress Alisha” a name her mother used while working as a stripper. She was offered on this website for two years.
Barkau and the mother plead guilty to commercial sex trafficking of a minor on Thursday. Barkau will spend 25 years in prison and her mother was sentenced to 15 years because of a plea agreement. This sentence was ordered only after asking the victim if she thought that was sufficient. Prosecutors say she is the first person in the COUNTRY to be charged under federal trafficking law in a case involving her own child. The two were also ordered to forfeit $80,000, the amount they collected from the girl’s customers.
The victim is now 22 and she did attend the hearing on Thursday so she could witness their pleas first hand. She states that she hope the sentence of 25 years for Barkau serves as a life sentence since he has a history of heart attacks and strokes. This was also considered in the sentencing process and a longer sentence was not sought.
I read this story and I became angry. How could anyone put their daughter through such a horrible experience? If they were so bad off and broke then why didn’t she prostitute herself? It’s still illegal but at least a 12 year old little girl isn’t being victimized. Your parents are suppose to protect you. But this mother was advertising her daughter like she was this week’s special at meat shop.
My heart goes out to the victim in this story. I am sure this has truly left her scared. I truly hope that this woman will be able to move on and have a normal life. I know there are victims of sexual assault that are traumatized for a very long time and must seek counseling. Sometimes they are able to live normal lives and some it affects them very deeply and they have relationship problems. Plus, this girl was victimized by her mother. So she may not be able to have a normal relationship with her. I know that I would never be able to forgive her and talk to her again.
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Very sad story. When they had the story about the guy who kidnapped the 11 yr old and kept her in his back yard for 18 years I thought that was awful and wondered how many others might be out there. I was not even imagining that a Mother could do this to her own daughter, and this one was even in our neck of the woods (KC) I'm glad she is free of this abuse and I hope as you do that she can somehow be able to have a pleasant life of her own now.
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