32 Men Charged in Portland Child Sex Trafficking Case Involving One Teenager

Thirty-two men face charges over the sex trafficking of one teenage girl in Portland, Oregon. Eight have been convicted; eight others remain at large with active warrants.

32 Charged Over Sex Trafficking of Portland Teenager, Eight Still Wanted

Thirty-two men have been charged in connection with the sexual exploitation of a single teenage girl in Portland, Oregon, prosecutors and police announced Wednesday, kptv.com reports. Eight defendants have already been convicted, while eight others remain fugitives with active warrants outstanding.

The investigation was launched along Southeast 82nd Avenue in late 2023, though the girl's alleged exploitation began before that, officials said. Two men identified as her primary traffickers are already serving prison time: Dominique Williams received a 19-year sentence and Kai'leif Newcomb a 15-year sentence.

Prosecutors said the case remains active and that they expect to identify additional men who paid to exploit the girl.

Portland Police Sgt. Onest Robert, who leads the department's human trafficking unit, said his team has recovered more young people from commercial sex trafficking this year than in any year since he joined the force. That figure includes six teenage girls recovered along 82nd Avenue in April and May alone.

Robert said the problem extends well beyond a single street. Buyers seek out young people "on our streets, on the internet and other places," he said, before sexually assaulting them.

Police are asking anyone who recognises one of the eight men with active warrants, or who holds information about others connected to the case, to contact the bureau through its website or non-emergency line.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)