Sex trafficking and prostitution in Denver is a thriving multi-million dollar business and police authorities are unsure of how to stop it. A report from Urban Institute found that Denver’s underground sex trafficking economy was roughly $40 million. Other large urban cities, like Dallas, had $99 million sex trafficking economies.
The report reviewed eight major cities across the United States over a three-year period of time, during which they interviewed 142 convicted pimps, sex traffickers, and child pornographers. While Denver ranked last in all major cities surveyed (a good sign), many believe that this is because Denver law enforcement officials don’t really have a good handle on the actual size of the sex trade that is going on in Denver.
The report itself broke down each city’s underground economy into 4 distinct parts:
- Street prostitution
- Escort services
- Asian massage parlors
- Latino brothels
Higher end prostitutes typically work for pimps and traffickers and charge higher prices, while street prostitutes often work the streets for lower prices and in exchange for drugs. To keep their businesses open during the rough economy, pimps and sex traffickers in Denver offered incentives, such as Buy 2 Get 1 Free deals and gas specials. When law enforcement officials began cracking down or doing shakedowns, pimps and traffickers moved their girls to new cities or recruited new women to take their places.
Caught in Crime
Unfortunately, innocent men and women are sometimes caught in undercover operations to catch sex traffickers, prostitutes, and johns. They are often simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet being accused of a sex crime or of prostitution is a very serious offense and one that should not be taken lightly. As such, you need an experienced Denver criminal defense lawyer on your side to build a solid defense against these serious accusations.
In order to be charged with sex trafficking, you must have forced, coerced, or lured a vulnerable person by false promises into providing sex acts for money. Without the right Denver criminal defense lawyer, you could face serious legal consequences, including time in prison and being labeled as a sex offender. If the victims in question were under age, you could face even more serious penalties for child abuse.
Even a mere accusation of sex trafficking is enough to ruin your entire life, your relationships, and your reputation in the community. With the right legal defense, your lawyer can expose the holes in the prosecution’s case against you and seek to have the charges dismissed altogether. If dismissal is not a possibility, your attorney can plea-bargain and negotiate a lesser offense, with less severe penalties.
Contact Us
If you have been charged with a sex crime, it is difficult to know where to turn. Denver criminal defense attorney Steven Louth has successfully represented accused individuals in Denver and throughout Colorado. He understands that your future and your freedom are at stake, and as such; he is always ready to fight the tough fight.
call Steven Louth Law Offices at 303-442-2297 today for a free case evaluation or send us an email. No matter how serious the charges are against you, there are ways to fight them. Call today!