6 men arrested in Colorado Springs for soliciting children for prostitution

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - On Monday the Colorado Springs Police Department released information about 6 people arrested for soliciting child prostitution.

According to the CSPD, in February 2021, a joint Law Enforcement operation conducted an investigation into several people who allegedly were seeking to pay to have sex with children under the age of 18.

Colorado Springs Police identified the suspects as: Patrick Martin (32), Nicholas Fernandez (42), Nathanael Martens (27), Johnathan Guenther (67), James Harry (31), and Joseph Dimes (31).

Police said the operation was comprised of members from the Colorado Springs Police Department's Human Trafficking Investigations Unit, El Paso County Sheriff's Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado State Patrol, the District Attorney’s Office of the Fourth Judicial District of Colorado, and the US Department of Homeland Security Investigations Division.

Special Agent Steven Cagen, of the US Department of Homeland Security Investigations Division in Denver said, “Protecting children is one of our highest priorities and these arrests send a message to those who seek to prey on children, we will find you and bring you to justice.”

Officials said all six men were arrested and booked into the El Paso County Jail.