Clinton man sentenced to 255 years in prison for sexual abuse, prostitution and extortion of girls

Scott County District Judge Henry Latham announced the sentence against Daniel Craig Jones during a hearing in district court on Friday.

Jones, 47, must spend 53 ½ years in prison before he can be released on parole.

Following a trial in District Court in October, a Scott County jury found Jones guilty of two counts of second-degree sexual abuse and four counts of trafficking drugs to a minor. He was also found guilty of three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of lascivious acts with a minor (groping or touching). Jones was also found guilty of two counts of prostitution, one count of lascivious acts with a minor (inciting sexual assault of a child) and one count of indecent contact with a child.

According to the affidavits, Jones sexually abused a 13-year-old girl three times between June 1, 2022, and August 31, 2022. Jones was on probation through the Iowa Department of Corrections at the time the abuse began.

The abuse occurred in a home in Davenport, another time in an apartment in Bettendorf, and a third time in the parking lot of a restaurant in Bettendorf.

Jones also delivered marijuana to a 16-year-old girl in exchange for nude photos of her. He also delivered marijuana to a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old girl, police said.

Between Nov. 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2022, according to affidavits, Jones twice solicited two girls to obtain nude photos of them by threatening them. In each case, he met the girls individually at Veterans Memorial Park in Bettendorf. He then displayed a black handgun and threatened the girl and her family if she did not cooperate, records say.

Between December 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, he allegedly exchanged sexual favors from a 16-year-old girl for money and drugs on three occasions. According to the affidavits, he even offered money for rent, an iWatch, an iPhone, and hair extensions in exchange for sexual services.

Jones also attempted to persuade a 16-year-old girl to engage in prostitution. According to affidavits, he showed the victim an HBO documentary about the Moonlite BunnyRanch in Nevada, as well as a photograph of an employee who allegedly made $1,000 per visit, to demonstrate how much money the victim could make as a prostitute.