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Washington, DC- Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D-NY) released the following statements after introducing their bipartisan bill to renew authorization for the Public-Private Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking.
The council provides a direct line to federal government agencies that will streamline unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles by empowering nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations in the fight against human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a terrible scourge and we must all work together to defeat it,” said Curtis. “Last Congress, the President signed my bill into law creating the Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking which brought the Federal government and prevention and rehabilitation experts together. Organizations like Utah’s Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) have led the way in fighting human trafficking and offer invaluable expertise to the Council. To ensure the critical work of this advisory council continues, I’ve introduced the Human Trafficking Council Extension Act to reauthorize the Council and give its members additional time to meet and recommend best practices to help put an end to human trafficking.”
(KUTV) — A Kearns, Utah man is facing child sex trafficking charges — accused of forming a relationship with a young teen, and using that relationship to victimize the girl to make money.
According to charging documents, Craig Thomas Defa, 27, met the girl when she was 14 and he was 22, back in 2015. Two weeks into their relationship, it became sexual.
In Salt Lake City Utah, two Utah men and a woman who was convicted of murder previously, now face charges forcing two teenage girls into human trafficking. The three traffickers face multiple felony counts for human trafficking of a child. One of the men also face a charge of unlawful sexual contact. One of the victims met the men after she walked away from juvenile services custody.
A 53-year-old man of Salt Lake City, UT. has been sentenced to the maximum possible sentencing on each of eight counts of human trafficking-related charges. Including, Four terms of five years up to life in prison
* One term of fifteen years up to life in prison *Two terms of one year to fifteen years in prison *One term of zero to five years in prison
Shane Smith, 26, was one of the individuals arrested during the three-day human trafficking operation in Lehi, UT, with the intent to have sexual relations with a child under the age of 18.
A jury in Salt Lake City, UT convicted a man of multiple felony charges including aggravated human trafficking-against two women. James Savage Brown was convicted of the following charges: aggravated human trafficking for forced sexual exploitation, aggravated kidnapping, rape, forcible sodomy, aggravated exploitation of prostitution and tampering with a witness.
Three men were arrested on Tuesday for sex trafficking after an undercover operation in Weber County, Utah. Protecting the youth is of upmost priority for them and they will continue to conduct these type of operations to help combat the growing trend of exploiting juveniles and the vulnerable population.
Child pornography arrests have nearly doubled in Utah over the last five years – mirroring a national trend – as investigators at local, state and federal agencies deploy sophisticated tactics to catch more criminals.
Lynnsie Reddish, 22, and Terrance Chavez Jones, 32, were sentenced to one to 15 years each in the Utah State Prison for their convictions of human trafficking. Prosecutors say the couple recruited women who were typically battling drug addiction or who were homeless and would use their drug addiction as a way to control them, providing drugs when they made money working as prostitutes, and withholding drugs when they failed to comply.
Ryan MacFarlane, 47, of Salt Lake City, UT. is facing the following charges:
* Human trafficking of a child, first-degree felony
* Aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
* Rape, a first-degree felony
* Forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony
* Object rape, a first-degree felony
* Aggravated exploitation of prostitution involving a child, a first-degree felony
The victim is only 16 years old.
Finding new and innovative ways to combat the demand for purchased sex, raise awareness to this nationwide epidemic, and provide safe environments for victims.