The Aurora Police Department’s (APD) Special Victims Section launched an investigation targeting child predators. The investigation resulted in the arrest of 13 men.
To catch the offenders, undercover officers went online and posed as minors offering paid sexual services.
They would then plan a time to meet up.
“Without proactive investigations like this, much of this criminal activity would remain hidden from the public and, more importantly, these individuals could have gone on to victimize a child,” said Lt. Seth Robertson, who oversees the Aurora Police Department’s Special Victims Section.
13 Men Show Up
Several of the men traveled from across Denver. Most also brought the money agreed upon in the online chat.
Per the APD, seven of the suspects had “sexual devices,” one bought alcohol, one had drugs, and another was armed.
Additionally, two of them were already registered sex offenders.
“In today’s online world, offenders who seek to sexually exploit children can do so behind closed doors and out of public view, which is why proactive police work is so important in exposing these crimes,” Lieutenant Robertson stated.
The APD identified the suspects as Jeffrey Lutsk, Kristopher Dominguez, Frank Herman, Jesus Cedillo, Jonathan Kranich, Thomas Wohlman, Devar Lewis, Danny Davis, Samuel Wahlgren, Joshua Tarver, Fermin Rivera-Garcia, Robert Titus, and Hikmat Hikmat.
Many of the men faced felony charges, including internet luring of a child, attempted sexual assault of a minor, solicitation of child prostitution, and more.
About SAFE
The investigation was part of the APD’s Stopping Adults From Exploiting (SAFE) initiative.
SAFE was launched shortly after Colorado passed Colorado Senate Bill 26-15, which made the consequences harsher for internet luring of a child for commercial sexual activity.
The charge was upgraded from a Class 5 felony to a Class 3 felony.
According to the Colorado General Assembly, suspects convicted of charges related to child prostitution must serve at least 364 days in jail if they’re offered probation.
Additionally, guilty offenders have to, at the very least, face “the minimum of the presumptive range for the level of offense associated with the crime.”
This year, the Senate also passed 26-11, which permits courts to give sex offenders probation ranging from 10 to 20 years.
Yet the state doesn’t seem to be stopping there.
Protect Kids Colorado and Advance Colorado are sponsoring Proposition 133, which would require individuals found guilty of trafficking minors to serve life in prison.
Currently, human trafficking is only a Level 2 felony in the state — but the proposition, if passed, would upgrade it to Level 1.
Trafficking in Colorado
Human trafficking in Colorado has increased in recent years.
In 2023, Colorado saw the 10th most sex trafficking compared to other states nationwide.
Adams County reportedly saw the most occurrences, while Denver, Boulder and El Paso followed close behind.