DES MOINES, Iowa — Carl Dale Markley, a former nurse practitioner and business owner from Ames, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion, admitting to exploiting 14 victims over nearly two decades, federal prosecutors announced.
Between 2004 and 2023, Markley deceived young men by fabricating elaborate lies to coerce them into engaging in commercial sex acts. He falsely claimed to be conducting medical or massage certifications, classwork, third-party research, or product development. Markley paid the men for the acts, falsely asserting that the funds came from grants or institutional funding.
According to the plea agreement, Markley created fraudulent contracts and consent forms, manipulated victims into believing they were participating in legitimate research, and documented the encounters with false data to bolster his lies. In some instances, he used hidden cameras to record the victims, including minor male children, without their knowledge. Markley appealed to his victims’ sense of altruism, falsely claiming that their participation would benefit others.
Markley’s sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2025, before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose. For each of the 15 counts, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Ames Police Department, the FBI, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.