How a changing Denver can be ripe for exploitation - 9News.com KUSA | Law Enforcement

DENVER — When Denver District Attorney Beth McCann first took office in 2017, she said there was only one lawyer dedicated to its human trafficking unit.

Since then, it has expanded to include multiple attorneys -- including one who was just recently hired -- and a full-time victim's advocate.

But, even with additional resources, convicting a trafficker is tricky business. McCann discussed this topic and others during a conversation with 9NEWS.

Here's a look at some of the topics.

How many trafficking cases does the DA's office have?

Since 2017, the office has worked on roughly 80 cases. Seventeen have been resolved, which could include a suspect pleading guilty, being convicted or the case being dismissed.

Why is it tricky to prosecute accused traffickers?

McCann talked about the complexities of investigating these cases that include using technology to trace phones, computers and investigating financials.

Part of the challenge is that sometimes a suspect may not be in Denver or even in Colorado.

"Certainly that can enter into it," McCann said. "They may come to Colorado for a while and leave. They may be an owner of a business and may not be in Colorado, and we may have to work with other jurisdictions."

She said her office is working to investigate both traffickers acting alone as well as organized criminal groups.

Human trafficking includes both sex trafficking and labor trafficking, which is a big concern for McCann.

"One of the areas that's very difficult to investigate is labor trafficking, and we see that a lot in the construction industry and among youth," she said, "We've heard from at least one of our partners that runs a homeless shelter for youth that many of the youth talk about being exploited and trafficked in labor.

However, McCann said those cases can be hard to prove since they need documentation and witnesses willing to testify.

"Denver is growing," McCann said. "With that growth comes the opportunity for more exploitation."

Who are the victims?

The Tennyson Center for Children works with kids who've been abused and neglected. The president and chief executive officer, Ned Breslin, said what he and his staff have seen is that many of the youngest victims are homeless.

He also said there are reports that show an alarming new pattern.

"A recent report came out with the data that alarmed us," he said. "The number of children in welfare, [the] foster care system, are now popping up in trafficking data."

Breslin said in the welfare system, victims are disproportionately girls and children of color.

"I think the shift is now we recognize it's one of the things that might have happened to children," he said. "If you had asked most people 10 or 15 years ago in the child welfare sector, they might not have said the same thing."

McCann also said human trafficking can victimize both children and adults -- regardless of socioeconomic status -- and that vulnerability and trauma are big factors as well.

McCann said people who don't have their immigration paperwork are victimized as well.

Connecting to resources

Every year, McCann said her office gets roughly 100 calls about human trafficking, either from tipsters or victims, through the Human Trafficking Hotline. That number is 888-373-7888.

The National Human Trafficking organization said that 178 human trafficking cases were reported across Colorado last year.

One of the most recent cases the Denver DA prosecuted most involved a man being arrested on October 7, 2019, for exploiting a 17-year-old girl into prostitution.

McCann said once law enforcement or her office connects with a victim, they work to get them connected to resources to help with their recovery and get to a safe position.

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