Child Sex Trafficking And Drug Dealing Ring Arrests: Colorado Attorney General John Suthers Charges 14

A sex trafficking ring that lured underage girls into prostitution and also dealt cocaine and methamphetamine was allegedly broken up in Colorado, according to Attorney General John Suthers.

Four so-called ringleaders were charged with arranging customers over the Internet for the female victims who were plied with drugs and threatened with violence by the pimps, Suthers said on Monday.

The sweeping raid also snared nine underlings for crimes like transporting the women to their rendezvouses and destroying evidence, according to the attorney general. Johns met the girls for sex in places like Denver, Grand Junction and Boulder.

Patrick Lloyd McGowan, 22, Chad Armand Gow, 20, Roy Manuel Ibarra-Gonzalez and Bryan Steven Burns, 21 -- the alleged masterminds -- pimped out five minors, according to The Denver Post. They placed their sex ads on the controversial website Backpage.com, owned by Village Voice Media, according to The Post.

A couple from Wheat Ridge that reported their daughter had run away led investigators to the sex ring, according to ABC Channel 7 in Denver.

The quartet faces up to 24 years in prison if they're convicted of trafficking a minor, according to KRDO.

One john was charged with patronizing the sex ring, The Post says. The indictment listed 70 charges against the 14 suspects.

All the known incidents took place over the last 12 months. Two suspects were still at large Monday night, according to KJCT,

Comments

[west699]

12:04 PM on 02/06/2012

We all agree that underage prostitution is bad, since this is an adult activity.
This needs to be stopped. Only adults should engage in sex. We all agree on that.
However, are all underage prostitutes forced and raped? crying, kicking and screaming while being forced, against their will to have sex for money? With men from the general public?
If a prostitute is 17 and under the age of 18, she can not give legal consent. So, she could have wanted to be a prostitute, and given consent for sex, but since she is underage, she can not give legal consent, so legally she was “forced” even if she gives total consent to sex and it was consensual - she was “forced” according to the court and justice system. There is a BIG difference between being legally “forced” and truly being physically forced against someone’s will.

This gives the impression that all prostitutes under the age of 18 are “forced” when they may in fact, not have been. If fact, if two people who are both 17 years old have sex, they both are legally considered to be victims and sex predators at the same time. It is strange how the justice system works.

http://bebopper76.wordpress.com/sex-trafficking-a-mans-point-of-view-of-sex-slavery-rape/

[Breakingmysilence]

02:11 PM on 02/03/2012

I'm a sex trade survivor from Las Vegas 60s. My book is called Breaking My Silence, confessions of a Rat Pack party girl and sex-trade survivor. I speak out to stop prostitution and abuse to women. If anyone ever needs a speaker or wants to interview me on this subject matter, please give me a call. www.breakingmysilence.net

[Sophie Halcyon]

08:30 PM on 02/04/2012

I checked out your website. I commend you on your bravery and commitment to educate/inform and share your experiences. Stay strong, never let yourself be silenced again. I am on the healing road back to normality, having been through years of trauma though on a different level. I'm a survivor of rape and physical abuse by former boyfriends, and was raped as a young teen by one of my friends- it never leaves you, the mental scars it creates, that permanently settle into your psyche. I'm learning to make better choices, wiser decisions, and not to be so trusting of other people. This was my downfall- I assumed everyone was as honest and straight-forward as I am. Harsh lessons learned, but the pain never leaves. It just gets pushed to the side. Thank you for influencing me it's ok to speak out, I couldn't help what happened and I shouldn't ignore it or be ashamed. I need to take those years of hurt and turn them into something beautiful- vindicate myself, and be proud of who I am- scars and all.

[topkatnc]

11:06 AM on 02/03/2012

Way to many people using the internet as a sex tool for sexual child abuse .. These men , and look at how young they are .. haven't been out of their teens for long .. they must be souless to do this to another human being .. I would love to know their history of using the internet from childhood up .. it would be interesting .. if they are guilty , and make sure they are .. throw away the key .. period .

[georgecarlin76]

05:58 AM on 02/02/2012

And the federal DA's in Colorado are going after state legal marijuana dispensaries why? To control the people and morally bankrupt this country...they need to be focusing on people like this but they let this stuff flourish.

[topkatnc]

11:12 AM on 02/03/2012

Spot on !

[cookadamjcook]

03:52 AM on 02/02/2012

Just like all the others in their underworld, there is no help for them. Might as well just find and kill these guy's, instead of using my tax money on them. I would rather my tax money go towards helping the victims get better( if that is possible). They life these children are forced into, and the drugs that they are now addicted to will be a big scar in their life, and may have life long implications.

[georgecarlin76]

05:56 AM on 02/02/2012

Now we need to weed out the politicians involved in this filth and are blackmailed to vote certain ways.

[summer261987]

12:47 AM on 02/02/2012

just give them death penalty! their clients should be charged too! this world will be better without these monsters!

[mynamesyow]

12:36 AM on 02/02/2012

running from the law, the press and the parents, is your name Michael Diamond? nah, my names Clarence...

[CWAVvolunteer]

11:33 PM on 02/01/2012

In 2005, the Department of Justice reported that there have been an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 sex slaves in the U.S. since 2001. Between 14,500 and 17,500 victims are trafficked into the USA each year (TVPA); the CIA estimates 45,000—50,000 victims. In 2009, a University of Pennsylvania study estimated nearly 300,000 youth in the United States were at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial uses - "most of them runaways or thrown-aways," said Ernie Allen, president of the NCMEC. There are girls as young as 5 and 6 years old in the U.S. that are forced to do sexual acts for economic gain by their pimp (USDOJ).1.2 million children are being trafficked every year; this is in addition to the millions already held captive by trafficking (UNICEF). Every 2 minutes a child is being prepared for sexual exploitation (UNICEF). The average age of a trafficked victim is 12-14 years old (U.S. Department of Justice). UNICEF reports approximately 30 million children have lost their childhood through sexual exploitation over the past 30 years (IAST). One in 12 (82 of 1000) youth experienced sexual victimization, including sexual assault (32 per 1000) and attempted or completed rape (22 per 1000) (Crimes Against Children Research Center). Both males and females are victimized. Children Without a Voice USA is dedicated to raising awareness and preventing crimes against children, child abuse and neglect through advocacy and education. Please visit our website at www. childrenwithoutavoiceusa. org.

[CWAVvolunteer]

11:32 PM on 02/01/2012

God help these children and teens! Please protect, comfort, heal and bring them peace. I can't imagine what they went through. I can only pray that victims\survivors are rescued from this and that potential victims are saved (prevented from it happening to them).

[snapper123]

10:20 PM on 02/01/2012

The state of Colorado is soft of kidnappers, child rapist, traffickers, drug dealers, giving drugs to minors. Maybe the judge is one of the Johns?

[Progressneeded]

12:09 AM on 02/01/2012

So the parents led the police to the ring? I guess busting sex traffickers is less important than busting protesters!

[cmartinbbq]

10:51 PM on 01/31/2012

Hey Patrick Lloyd MacGowan---YOU'RE UGLY!!! TAKE THAT AND PUT IT WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE! AND YOU'LL STILL BE UGLY IN PRISON AND WHEN YOU GET OUT. HOPEFULLY NEVER. PERVERT...

[TheTruth76]

11:40 PM on 01/31/2012

??????????????

[marietruth]

08:56 AM on 02/03/2012

ya i bet u is to ur just jealous

[Sickofpoliticians2]

03:13 PM on 02/04/2012

Thank God for education, is this English?

[Sanders McGrillin]

06:11 PM on 01/31/2012

I would be happy if none of them got to see the light of day again

[LiberalLee]

05:49 PM on 01/31/2012

" He shore has a purty mouth"...
Have fun in stir boys. You deserve it.

[Jean Dames]

12:16 PM on 02/01/2012

buwahahaha, that's good

[LiberalLee]

05:36 PM on 02/01/2012

:) Cue up the dueling banjos...

[SouloAngels]

05:47 PM on 01/31/2012

Start arresting only the johns, let the women go with a ticket and mandatory medical check ups and treatment for drug and alcohol problems paid for from the reduction in female prisoner costs and court costs along with hefty fines for the johns. If arrested the man's vehicle would be towed, his booking photo with the license plate right next to his photo in the newspaper along with his home address and workplace. It's a crime that men are rarely charged with, if they are charged at all and I propose if we make the men publicly accountable it would stop prostitution right away. With no customers, there will be no prostitution.

[katgal1232]

09:09 PM on 01/31/2012

yep

[kp1975]

09:00 AM on 02/01/2012

I totally agree for prostitution but these were underage girls. Fry the men and let these poor girls get some help to cope with what they were forced to endure.

[marietruth]

09:00 AM on 02/03/2012

2 months from turning 18 and forced hahahahahaha