The Wyoming Highway Patrol has announced the arrest of a suspect on a Child Sex Abuse warrant from another state. Troopers say they were tipped off after a Port of Entry worker reported observing several signs of possible human trafficking during a vehicle inspection
WHP says that on June 18, 2020, troopers were notified of a possible victim of human trafficking. The initial clues were observed by a Colorado Port of Entry officer while inspecting a commercial vehicle.
The officer had recently completed in-depth training provided by Truckers Against Trafficking, the WHP says. The Port of Entry officer said they became suspicious after observing several human trafficking indicators.
“The driver allowed the inspecting officer to speak with the female in the truck to check her welfare,” the WHP says, saying that there was a large age disparity between the passenger and driver. “The female told the officer she was an out-of-work model, depressed, and out of money. The officer asked several times if she felt safe or wanted help. The female declined to give the officer a clear cut answer.”
The driver and passenger’s identifications were checked through the Colorado law enforcement database and returned with no issues.
“Since the female did not want to cooperate with the officer and answer questions fully, the officer allowed them to leave,” WHP says. “After they left, the officer still believed, ‘none of it felt or sounded right,’ and decided to check the identifications through a national database.”
WHP says the Port of Entry officer found out the driver had an outstanding warrant from Oklahoma for child sexual abuse. This information was immediately relayed to law enforcement in Wyoming.
The WHP says they notified troopers of the vehicle’s description. Troopers were able to locate the vehicle west of Cheyenne, Wyoming and confirmed the driver had a warrant for felony child sexual abuse.
The suspect was arrested without incident.
“Even though the passenger said the driver had not harmed her, she was counseled on early warning signs of someone being groomed for trafficking. The female was transported to a hotel in Cheyenne and provided a room for the night,” WHP says. “This is one more story that was able to end well due to multiple agencies working together to make sure victims of human trafficking are rescued, and offenders are held accountable.”
“All of those cited or arrested are presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law. Charges are subject to change following official filings from the Laramie County District Attorney’s Office.”
