In the last 5 years, prosecutors in Colorado charged more than 369 people with crimes related to child sex trafficking. Of all the counties in Colorado, the majority of sex trafficking occurs in Arapahoe, Jefferson, El Paso, Denver and Adams counties. Sex trafficking in Arapahoe County has resulted in the most child trafficking related cases of any county in the state of Colorado.
Human trafficking is a very serious crime and one that involves the sexual exploitation, prostitution and pandering of children and teenagers. To combat this growing epidemic, authorities have set up online sting operations to catch perpetrators and the individuals responsible for purchasing underage sex.
One of the common misconceptions about child sex trafficking is that many people believe it is an international crime. This is far from the case. The majority of child sex trafficking cases occur within the borders of Colorado. In the first 7 months of 2017 alone, more than 40 Colorado individuals were arrested for child sex trafficking and more than a third of those cases were caught by using an online sting operation. The majority of those arrested were men in their thirties.
What is Trafficking?
Offenses related to sex trafficking involve the buying and selling of sex, transporting, recruiting, and enticing underage minors to participate in sexual activity. Arguments that the child consented to the sexual activity are not valid.
The Colorado Human Trafficking Council released its annual report on human trafficking in the state. According to the report, lack of awareness is one of the main reasons human trafficking continues. Everyone, including police and civilians, should be on the lookout for teens and children who may be victims of sex trafficking.
Further Reading: Getting Arrested for DUI in Colorado is Serious
Red Flags for Teenage Victims of Human Trafficking
Teenage victims are common in the human trafficking trade. While many of these teenage victims were runaways, and willingly went with a trafficker simply to get food or shelter, others are taken from their everyday lives. Teenage girls who have a significantly older boyfriend, travel with an older male who is not their guardian, is a chronic runaway, is homeless, suffers from substance abuse or has multiple delinquency charges could be victims of human trafficking, most probably, sex trafficking.
Contact Our Boulder Sex Crimes Defense Attorney
Sometimes, innocent men and women are caught in sting operations. A mere accusation of child sex trafficking is enough to ruin your reputation in the community and cost you your job, friendships, and family. If you’ve been accused of committing a sex crime, it is important to know how serious these charges can be. At the Steven Louth Law Offices, we believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Contact the Boulder criminal defense lawyers at Steven Louth Law Offices today for a free consultation and review of your case. Call us at (303) 422-2297 to start building a solid defense against these serious criminal charges.