Sex trafficking focus of forum in Colorado Springs

On Friday, Governor John Hickenlooper is expected to sign into law a bill providing additional services to minors involved in human trafficking.

A special forum on human trafficking was held Thursday evening in Colorado Springs to raise awareness about the problem and discuss possible solutions.

“There absolutely is a problem with sex trafficking in Colorado Springs, and just about every city in America,” explained Roger Patrizio, Chairman of the Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado.

The problem became especially apparent last fall, when 23 people were arrested here as part of a nationwide sting to disrupt human trafficking.

El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark said in 2015, 39 children were rescued from human sex trafficking in Colorado Springs alone.

Police say the average age of recruitment is 12 years old, and that recruitment often starts with texting or messaging.

Sgt. Tammy Gugliotta with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says messaging apps are often disguised as calculator or weather apps that parents would never suspect could be used for secret communication.

Gugliotta says predators will lure victims by start by asking for simple requests.

“‘Do this for me’, ‘take this picture’, ‘do this sexual act’, and it goes from there. Then the extortion starts,” she explained at the forum.

The prostitution isn’t necessarily visible on the street.

“Sex trafficking does takes place in our city in massage parlors and on the internet,” says Patrizio.

Colorado Springs PD has both an undercover investigator dedicated to human trafficking as well as someone who works with victims.

However, they admit that quite a few of the people they try to help end up back on the streets because it is such a tough cycle to break.