FBI Denver
Public Affairs Specialist Vikki Migoya
FBIDN_PublicAffairs@fbi.gov
June 25, 2014

Eighteen Juveniles Recovered in Colorado and Wyoming Operation Targeting Commercial Child Sex Trafficking

During the past week, the FBI Denver Division and its local, state, and federal law enforcement partners conducted Operation Cross Country (OCC) VIII to address commercial child sex trafficking throughout the region. The local operation included 23 law enforcement agencies from Casper, Wyoming to Pueblo, Colorado, which led to the recovery of 18 children who were being victimized through prostitution. Additionally, 11 pimps were arrested on state and pending federal charges.

Operation Cross Country is part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative that was established in 2003 by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, in partnership with the Department of Justice and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), to address the growing problem of child prostitution.

To date, nationwide, the FBI and its task force partners have recovered nearly 3,600 children from being exploited. The investigations and subsequent 1,450 convictions have resulted in lengthy sentences, including 14 life in prison sentences.

Task force operations usually begin as local enforcement actions that target truck stops, casinos, street “tracks,” and websites that advertise dating or escort services, based on intelligence gathered by officers working in their respective jurisdictions. Initial arrests are often violations of local and state laws relating to prostitution or solicitation. Information gleaned from those arrested frequently uncovers organized efforts to prostitute women and children across many states. FBI agents further developed this evidence in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section so that prosecutors can help bring federal charges in those cities where child prostitution occurs.

The Innocence Lost National Initiative brings local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and social service providers from across the country to NCMEC for training.

The Colorado Trafficking and Organized Crime Coalition (CTOCC) and their partners worked with the Rocky Mountain Innocence Lost Task Force assisting to target males soliciting for prostitution.

The FBI Denver Division would like to thank its local, state, and federal law enforcement partners representing more than 23 separate agencies who participated in Operation Cross Country VIII and their ongoing enforcement efforts.

A total of 206 law enforcement personnel in Colorado/Wyoming worked on OCC VIII.

Participating law enforcement agencies included:

  • Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office
  • Arvada Police Department
  • Aurora Police Department
  • Casper Police Department
  • Colorado Springs Police Department
  • Colorado State Patrol
  • Denver Police Department
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • Glendale Police Department
  • Grand Junction Police Department
  • Greeley Police Department
  • Internal Revenue Service
  • Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
  • Lakewood Police Department
  • Mesa County Sheriff’s Office
  • Pueblo Police Department
  • Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office
  • Western Colorado Drug Task Force
  • Westminster Police Department
  • Wheat Ridge Police Department
  • Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation

OCC VIII (2014) Results:

  • 18 juveniles recovered
  • 11 pimps arrested
  • 11 pimps identified
  • 38 adults cited/arrested for prostitution
  • 26 adult victims/prostitutes contacted
  • 68 johns arrested
  • six adults arrested for other crimes

By comparison, below are the accomplishments in Colorado/Wyoming from OCC VII (2013) and OCC VI (2012):

OCC VII:

    • nine juveniles recovered
    • six pimps arrested
    • 11 pimps identified
    • 51 adults cited/arrested for prostitution
    • 25 johns arrested
    • six adults arrested for other crimes

OCC VI:

  • two juveniles recovered
  • three pimps arrested
  • 31 adults cited/arrested for prostitution
  • 26 Johns arrested
  • five adults arrested for other crimes

Resources:

- National press release
- Related FBI.gov story