DALLAS — A federal judge sentenced a North Texas man to 30 years in prison Monday morning, nearly four months after a jury found him guilty of sex trafficking.
Daniel Settle, 37, pled not guilty to one felony count of sex trafficking and one felony count of obstruction of an official proceeding. He was only convicted on the trafficking charge last October.
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The primary witness in Settle's trial was a 21-year-old woman who was referred to as Adult Victim 1 (AV1). The woman testified that she met Settle days after her 18th birthday and that what she believed was a flirtatious, dating relationship soon shifted into a situation where she was being directed to work as a prostitute under Settle's direction. Her testimony included multiple examples of physical and verbal abuse and the methods Settle used to conduct his sex trafficking organization.
On Monday, AV1 presented a handwritten statement that Assistant United States Attorney Myria Boehm, who was the lead prosecutor on the case, read to the court.
"He tried to strip me of my very little bit of identity at 18," the statement read.
AV1's statement detailed how she met Settle, how she saw a shift, and how he treated her "in just days." In her statement, she wrote that Settle forced his interests, religion and preferences on her and the other women who worked under him and beat her for being tired, not making enough money or even just standing up for herself. She said she understood why Settle was often referred to as "the slave master."
"He became very evil," AV1's statement read. "I've never felt more inhuman in my life."
Settle also addressed the court, first apologizing to AV1.
"I never ever wanted to hurt her, and I'm sorry that I hurt her," Settle said.
Settle explained to the court that his mother was a prostitute and his father was abusive and a drug addict. He said he had been sexually and physically abused as a child and was in and out of foster care, in addition to having early exposure to the world of prostitution.
"I was a hurt person," Settle said. "I didn't realize the toxicity of the situation and how that poison would affect me my entire life."
Settle said that he became a Christian while he has been incarcerated and that he got married.
"God has sent me a beautiful woman to be my wife," Settle said.
The woman Settle referred to as his wife was in court Monday and also presented a written statement, which was read to the court by Settle's attorney Russell Wilson.
Settle's wife's statement referred to Settle as an "inspiration," a "motivational speaker of the faith" and a devoted father whose child prays for him to come home every night.
Boehm stated later in the hearing that law enforcement officers who were surveilling Settle during their investigation observed him with his son "on his hip" out on the portion of Harry Hines Boulevard where he directed women who work as prostitutes.
"Sad stories are not an excuse," AV1's statement read.
In her statement, AV1 detailed the lewd sex acts that Settle wanted her and other women in his operation to perform on him and how Settle would have sex with other women in front of her to "make her stronger" and beat her when she expressed that she was jealous.
"You are a predator," she wrote in her statement. "You are the type of man parents need to warn their daughters about."
The young woman's statement read that her decision to testify in Settle's trial as well as provide a statement at his sentencing was not just for her, but for the other women who were victims of Settle including the women who don't know that they're victims.
"I am not a victim but a survivor," she wrote.
