Washington County Prostitution Scam Yields 4 Arrests, Targets Human Traffickers – St George News

Stock Image | Photo by Daniel Tadevosyan/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

SAINT GEORGE — Four men were arrested and charged with soliciting a prostitute following an undercover human trafficking operation last week in Washington County.

The undercover operation was part of a targeted operation by the St. George Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division and was launched after authorities received information indicating possible human trafficking and sexual exploitation was taking place in the area.

The undercover operation led to the arrest of three men from St. George and one man from Cedar City, all of whom reportedly arranged to meet online for sex in exchange for money.

They were arrested when they arrived at the agreed-upon location in Washington County, St. George Police Lt. Johnny Heppler told St. George News.

Police received information that sex workers were possibly being exploited through human trafficking. According to Heppler, this often involves the exploitation of people for profit through violence, fraud or persuasion.

These targeted operations are designed to target human traffickers. While some view prostitution as a victimless crime and a consensual act between two adults, Heppler said the nature of sex trafficking does not support that assertion and instead involves forced compliance through exploitation and violence.

To that end, these targeted operations open up opportunities to identify potential victims of sex trafficking, who are often hidden due to the underground nature of the crime. Heppler added that authorities can then help those affected by re-sources who can help them escape the abuse associated with sex trafficking.

“Often through these targeted operations we see firsthand the violence and exploitation of these victims,” Heppler added.

Interventions that target demand, or those who exploit sex workers, are also important, he said, as demand is the driving force behind prostitution and sex trafficking. Where there is demand, supply and distribution follow. There is no need for supply when demand is eliminated through arrest, he said.

Demand reduction initiatives to address sex trafficking led to a recent change in Utah law when a bill was passed that increased the charge of solicitation from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor. This made the penalties for those who paid for commercial sex more severe, as a way to reduce demand.

$100 Billion Sex Trafficking Industry

Every year, millions of men, women and children are trafficked in countries around the world, including the United States, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Justice. Many victims are used in sex trafficking, which is an estimated $150 billion a year industry, second only to drug trafficking, and about $100 billion of that comes from sex trafficking, making it one of the world’s most profitable crimes after drug trafficking,

A Utah State University study found that 98% of sex trafficking victims are women and 60% of forced labor victims are men, according to cases filed in federal court in 2020. However, those percentages only reflect the individuals who were identified, leading researchers to suspect the true numbers are much higher, Susan Madsen, one of the report’s four authors, said in the study.

Research shows that victims are often targeted based on their vulnerability. When they reintegrate into society, they often find themselves in the same unsafe circumstances that led to their first victimization, which can lead to revictimization.

In 2023, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 267 contacts, resulting in 97 cases of human trafficking in Utah, compared to 157 victims and 39 traffickers identified in 2020.

The Utah Attorney General’s Office has also led a concerted effort to address human trafficking. Even as efforts expand, the Southern Utah corridor remains an area of ​​great concern. Last year, the agency conducted 49 human trafficking investigations, prosecuted eight cases and assisted 44 victims. One of those cases resulted in the arrest of six individuals after a law enforcement operation targeted a massage parlor in Utah County.

In southern Utah, sex trafficking is a problem, largely due to the proximity of major cities like Las Vegas, Nevada, a state that ranks number one in human trafficking reports.

There are several factors that can increase the risk of trafficking, including poverty, family separation, substance abuse and other socioeconomic factors. While traffickers rarely abduct a complete stranger off the street, in some cases they often rely on acquaintances, friends, romantic partners or even family members, Madsen noted in the study.

Potential victims can also be lured by fake job advertisements, employment agencies or false promises of employment. Sex trafficking also relies on online advertising, which was the case with the St. George operation.

This report is based on statements from court records, police, or other respondents and may not contain the full scope of the findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise determined by a trial judge.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, All rights reserved.