Colorado Springs human trafficking suspect has lengthy criminal history
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Colorado Springs man arrested for human trafficking last week has a lengthy criminal record in the state of Colorado.
David O'Neal Roberts, 53, is currently in the El Paso County jail on charges of human trafficking, sexual assault, and false imprisonment.
An arrest affidavit obtained by KRDO accuses Roberts of raping women and forcing them into prostitution over the last seven months. Three female victims, including a teenage runaway, identified Roberts as the man who held them against their will while forcing them to have sex with as many as a dozen different men a day.
KRDO found that Roberts is no stranger to law enforcement and has lived a life of crime over the last four decades.
Roberts rap sheet in Colorado dates back to late 1980s.
He faces serious criminal charges including kidnapping, aggravated robbery and burglary.
Roberts criminal record has a gap between the early 2000s and 2016.
It appears he spent time in Denver after pleading guilty to an escape charge in 2016.
Denver Police caught back up with Roberts after he served a year in prison. He was then charged in 2017 for threatening to injure a person or property.
In March 2019, police arrested him for possession of a controlled substances and other related drug charges in El Paso County.
Roberts was then charged with giving police a false identity and possession of a weapon in February 2020.
That incident with police was just weeks after authorities spoke with a teenage girl who said Roberts raped her at gun point inside a Super 8 Motel on Peterson Road.
Two more female victims allegedly forced into prostitution by Roberts came forward in February and July of this year.
Colorado Springs police believe there are more victims. If you have any information about Roberts' alleged crimes, you're encouraged to call CSPD at 719-444-7000.
Investigators want any potential victims to know that there are resources available and that they can report anonymously.
"I want to say this to anyone out there who looks at this and may be a victim or has some information, that regardless of what somebody was engaging in -- if it was prostitution or something else -- if you're victimized, then that's not OK, and it is OK to come to us and talk to us openly about the things that were going on and what ultimately led to you bringing information to us," Lt. John Koch with the Colorado Springs Police Department.
Police say even the smallest tip can help them identify other victims and ensure Roberts stays off the streets.
