DENVER (CBS4) – An FBI probe during the National Western Stock Show has led to an arrest of two alleged sex predators.
The suspects are in custody and accused of enslaving six girls.
His office wasn’t involved in the investigation, but Jefferson County District Attorney Pete Weir said child prostitution is always a concern at heavily attended events like the stock show or a major convention.
An image from this year’s National Western Stock Show (credit: CBS)
“Big events that draw a number of people from out of town … that’s going to lend itself to prostitution. It’s going to lend itself to people who profit from prostitution and unfortunately the exploitation of children is included that,” Weir said.
Weir’s office opened a human trafficking unit earlier this month. He says the victims usually come from homes where they were already abused.
“They think a life on the street is better than what they have. Unfortunately what they don’t know is that there are people out there waiting for them, looking for them, to lure then into this lifestyle,” Weir said.
The victims in the FBI’s case had been prostituted from anywhere between 2 weeks and a year. They were between 14 and 17 and had been living in foster care at group homes or had run away from their families before their predators got to them.
Investigators used online escort sites, classified ads and referrals to set up their sting operations.
Weir says cases like this can be found almost anywhere.
“This is the kind of activity and conduct that many of us don’t want to believe occurs in our community. Unfortunately, it does,” he said.
Officials with the FBI say they have not released some of the details of the case due to the fact some of the victims are minors. The identities of the suspects haven’t been released.
The National Western Stock Show ran from Jan. 28 to Jan. 25 this year.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story indicated some arrests were made at the stock show, which officials from the stock show later clarified was not the case. In a statement, they wrote: The FBI sting was in conjunction with the January Stock Show but the sting was not conducted at the Stock Show. Paul Andrews, President & CEO of the National Western Stock Show, also included a comment: “We appreciate law enforcement focusing on major events like ours to protect our staff, guests and visitors of Denver so that arrests are made to eliminate these horrific trafficking rings.”
