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Just days before his trial on charges of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women was to begin, a Utah long-haul truck driver pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity.

As part of a deal with federal prosecutors, two counts of kidnapping were dropped against 56-year-old Timothy Jay Vafeades.

The Salt Lake City man had pleaded guilty in May to transporting child pornography on computer hard drives in his truck as he traveled around the country.

Under the plea bargain, Vafeades is to be sentenced Nov. 2 by U.S. District Judge David Nuffer to 20 years in prison for all the charges.

"We are happy to have a just resolution to this case," assistant U.S. attorney Trina Higgins said after the plea hearing.

Jury selection had already begun for a three-week trial that was to begin next week when the plea deal was reached.

Vafeades was charged in March 2014 with kidnapping and sexually assaulting the two women, who he allegedly kept in his truck for lengthy periods. According to court documents, the FBI later identified four other women who said they also were held captive by the trucker.

The women allege Vafeades took their identifications and cell phones, forced them to shower with him and sleep naked, beat them and sexually assaulted them. He allegedly gained some measure of control over them by marrying them or luring them into his truck.

In addition, he allegedly used a Dremel power tool to grind off the teeth of at least three victims, and on one he also used an X-Acto knife so she could wear false teeth.

A 2014 criminal complaint alleged Vafeades had his own set of false teeth with vampire fangs on them.

Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC