A Mississippi man has been convicted and sentenced for instructing a minor to engage in sexual acts with adults while financially benefitting him.

Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced Tuesday the sentencing of a Clarksdale man, Darnell Dye, who was investigated and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office for human trafficking of a minor.

“This case, which started with a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is another example of the impact ordinary individuals can make when they step up to ‘Be The Solution,’” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I am grateful to my team for their diligence in investigating the initial tip and prosecuting this perpetrator. I urge everyone: if you see something, say something. Your vigilance could be the key to ending human trafficking in Mississippi.”

Upon receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Division and Human Trafficking Unit executed multiple search warrants, providing access to messages instructing the minor victim to engage in commercial sexual activity with other adults for his financial benefit.

The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Special Victims Unit (SVU). On July 31, 2023, Coahoma County Circuit Court Judge Charles E. Webster sentenced Dye to serve 25 years, with 20 to serve day for day and 5 to serve in post-release supervision in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

He was sentenced for Human Trafficking of a Minor, Tampering of a Witness, as well as several related crimes.

Dye will be required to register as a sex offender. Anyone with information about a child being sexually exploited online is asked to report it to 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). The hotline is manned 24hours a day, 7 days a week by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and tips are reported to the Attorney General’s Office.

Reports can also be made online at www.cybertipline.org.