Missoula, MT
Categories:
Tactics Used |
|
---|---|
Auto Seizure | ✓ |
Buyer Arrests | ✓ |
Cameras | ✓ |
Community Service | ✓ |
Employment Loss | ✓ |
Identity Disclosure | ✓ |
IT Based Tactics | ✓ |
John School | ✓ |
Letters | ✓ |
License Suspension | ✓ |
Neighborhood Action | ✓ |
Public Education | ✓ |
Reverse Stings | ✓ |
SOAP Orders | ✓ |
Web Stings | ✓ |
Missoula is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Montana with a population of approximately 75,000 residents. It is the largest city and county seat of Missoula County, MT. Cases of prostitution date back to at least 1917, when the local paper reported that the red light district “ceased to exist” after the new mayor announced he would enforce laws against prostitution, resulting in the majority of the town’s prostituted women packing their bags. The local sex trade has produced numerous complaints from community members to police for decades. Reports of targeted homicide against prostituted women have also been documented in the city and greater county area. Among the more serious issues surrounding the area’s commercial sex market are child sex trafficking and the related production or distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). For example, in 2017, a 22-year-old man pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor and racketeering after a 17-year-old girl told police he posted ads promoting commercial sex with her on a prostitution website.
Web-based operations targeting individuals seeking to sexually exploit minors in exchange for money have also been conducted. After the Missoula County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force conducted a successful web-based reverse sting where seven people were arrested, the Task Force conducted a similar sting with the support of the Missoula Police Department and Flathead County Sheriff’s Office. This one resulted in the arrest of six male sex buyers. Although the details of the operation were not immediately disclosed, members of the local media reported that at least one sex buyer was charged with “felony attempted child prostitution after he allegedly tried to set up a sexual encounter with a 13-year-old girl through a detective posing as her mother.”
Sex buyers have also been apprehended through alternative investigations and residential reports to local law enforcement. In 2010, city officials worked with teenage survivors of a sex trafficking ring to identify the male sex buyers responsible for their exploitation. 12 male sex buyers were arrested and charged with solicitation as a result. According to media reports at the time, “nearly all appeared in Missoula County Justice Court and pleaded guilty or no contest to being clients of prostitution” and were given a “six-month suspended sentences and fines and fees of $635.” Their identities were also publicized.
Key Partners
- Missoula Police Department
- Missoula County Sheriff’s Office
- Missoula County Internet Crimes against Children Task Force
- Missoula Human Trafficking Task Force
- FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force
Key Sources
Sex Buyer Arrest, Identity Disclosure:
- “Missoula Man Pleads Guilty in Craigslist Teen Prostitution Case”, Missoulian, December 11 2010.
- “BLM Employee Pleads Not Guilty in Missoula Case Involving Craigslist Prostitution Ring”, Missoulian, December 14 2010.
- “4 Men Plead Either Guilty or No Contest to Being Clients of Craigslist Prostitution Ring”, Missoulian, December 17 2010.
- “2 Missoula Men in Court on Craigslist Prostitution Charges; 1 Pleads Guilty”, Missoulian, December 20 2010.
- “UM Student Pleads Guilty to Pimping Teen Prostitution Ring on Craigslist”, Missoulian, December 21 2010.
- “Missoula Man Pleads ‘No Contest’ in Craigslist Prostitution Case”, Missoulian, December 23 2010.
- “Clinton Man Accused of Being Craigslist Prostitution Client Skips Court Hearing”, Missoulian, January 20 2011.
- “2nd Missoula Man Pleads Guilty to Running Craigslist Prostitution Ring”, Missoulian, January 25 2011.
- “Potomac Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Prostitution in Craigslist Case”, Missoulian, January 28 2011.
- “UM Student who Pimped Girls on Craigslist for Beer Money Gets Prison”, Missoulian, February 15 2011.
- “Missoula Man Sentenced for Running Teen Prostitution Ring on Craigslist”, Missoulian, March 9 2011.
- “2 More Men Cited in Missoula Craigslist Prostitution Ring”, Missoulian, March 11 2011.
- “2 More Men Enter Pleas in Missoula Craigslist Prostitution Case”, Missoulian, March 18 2011.
- Down the Rabbit Hole (2011)
Street-Level Reverse Stings, Cameras, Identity Disclosure:
Web-Based Reverse Stings, Identity Disclosure:
- Sting aimed at sexual predators results in 7 arrests (2013)
- https://www.montanarightnow.com/news/frenchtown-man-pleads-not-guilty-to-child-prostitution (2014)
- “Frenchtown Man Charged with Attempted Child Prostitution”, Missoulian, August 22 2014.
- Man faces felony charges: 41-year-old allegedly attempted to have sex with 13-year-old (2014)
- https://newstalkkgvo.com/man-arrested-for-soliciting-sex-with-purported-13-year-old-in-missoula/ (2022)
- Man Arrested for Soliciting Sex With Purported Minor in Missoula (2022)
Public Education:
- Sex trafficking on the increase statewide and in Missoula, experts say (2019)
- Detective: Sex trafficking more prevalent than most Missoula citizens realize (2019)
- https://nbcmontana.com/missoula-detective-educates-community-on-human-trafficking-in-montana
- https://www.montanarightnow.com/missoula/locals-bring-awareness-to-human-trafficking-by-filling-in-the-sidewalks/article (2021)
- https://nbcmontana.com/gov-gianforte-ag-knudsen-host-roundtable-on-human-trafficking (2022)
Operation Cross Country:
Sex Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation in the Area:
- “Prostitution Case Suspect Back in Jail”, Spokane Spokesman-Review, December 29 1970.
- “Vice Case Suspects Are Wed”, Spokane Spokesman-Review, April 14 1971.
- “Jury Acquits Accused Man at Missoula”, Spokane Daily Chronicle, November 2 1971.
- “Child Prostitution Ring Uncovered in Missoula; Two Men Arrested”, Missoulian, September 11 2010.
- “Missoula Prostitution Ring Suspects Deny Charges”, Missoulian, September 29 2010.
- “Minnesota Sex Offender Charged with Promoting Prostitution in Missoula”, Missoulian, September 30 2010.
- “Missoula Man Pleads Guilty in Craigslist Teen Prostitution Case”, Missoulian, December 11 2010.
- “BLM Employee Pleads Not Guilty in Missoula Case Involving Craigslist Prostitution Ring”, Missoulian, December 14 2010.
- “4 Men Plead Either Guilty or No Contest to Being Clients of Craigslist Prostitution Ring”, Missoulian, December 17 2010.
- “2 Missoula Men in Court on Craigslist Prostitution Charges; 1 Pleads Guilty”, Missoulian, December 20 2010.
- “UM Student Pleads Guilty to Pimping Teen Prostitution Ring on Craigslist”, Missoulian, December 21 2010.
- “Missoula Man Pleads ‘No Contest’ in Craigslist Prostitution Case”, Missoulian, December 23 2010.
- “Clinton Man Accused of Being Craigslist Prostitution Client Skips Court Hearing”, Missoulian, January 20 2011.
- “2nd Missoula Man Pleads Guilty to Running Craigslist Prostitution Ring”, Missoulian, January 25 2011.
- “Potomac Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Prostitution in Craigslist Case”, Missoulian, January 28 2011.
- “UM Student who Pimped Girls on Craigslist for Beer Money Gets Prison”, Missoulian, February 15 2011.
- “Man Gets Suspended Sentence for Forcing Missoula Girlfriend into Prostitution”, Missoulian, February 23 2011.
- “Missoula Man Sentenced for Running Teen Prostitution Ring on Craigslist”, Missoulian, March 9 2011.
- “2 More Men Enter Pleads in Missoula Craigslist Prostitution Case”, Missoulian, March 18 2011.
- “Down the Rabbit Hole”, Missoula Independent, August 11 2011.
- “Man Accused of Prostituting 17-Year-Old Girl in Missoula”, Missoulian, September 11 2013.
- “Missoula Man Arrested for Sex Trafficking Charges”, CBS/KPAX-TV 8, September 11 2013.
- “Missoula Man Pleads Not Guilty to Sex Trafficking”, CBS/KPAX-TV 8, October 1 2013.
- “7 Charged in Missoula-Area Child Sex Abuse Sting”, Missoulian, December 21 2013.
- “Frenchtown Man Charged with Attempted Child Prostitution”, Missoulian, August 22 2014.
- “No Jail Time for New York Man Accused of Prostituting Teenage Girl in Missoula,” Missoulian, June 10 2015.
- https://nbcmontana.com/man-pleads-guilty-to-sex-trafficking-racketeering
- https://missoulacurrent.com/sex-trafficking-victims-may-push-rescue-away-resist-help-montana-experts-say/ (2016)
- Officer extorted boys for photos (2019)
- Detective: Sex trafficking more prevalent than most Missoula citizens realize (2019)
- https://www.missoulacurrent.com/government/2019/01/sex-trafficking-montana/ (2019)
- https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/law-enforcement-cracking-down-on-human-trafficking-in-montana (2021)
- https://www.nwaonline.com/sex-trafficking-problem-entrenched-in-montana/ (2022)
- https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/human-trafficking-in-montana/video (2023)
- https://patch.com/sar-underway-missoula-woman-human-trafficking-concerns (2023)
Background on Prostitution in the Area:
- Man indicted for Cindy Herbig murder (1979)
- Charges dropped in case involving woman’s death (1980)
- “Sex; Bullock Targets Craigslist”, Missoula Independent, September 2 2010.
- “Minnesota Man Charged with Promoting Prostitution in Missoula”, Missoulian, January 4 2012.
- “Man Charged with Promoting Prostitution in Missoula”, CBS/KPAX-TV 8, February 3 2012.
- “Missoula Police Jail Man for Running Prostitution Business at Local Hotel”, Missoulian, February 3 2012.
- “Bail Set at $250K for Suspect in Missoula Prostitution Case”, Missoulian, February 7 2012.
- “2nd Missoula Brother Pleads Guilty to Prostitution Charge”, Missoulian, March 7 2012.
- “Prostitution: Common Missoula Crime, Not Very Visible to Public”, CBS/KPAX-TV 8, March 13 2012.
- “Minnesota Man Sentenced for Promoting Prostitution in Missoula”, Missoulian, May 3 2012.
- “Plea Entered in Missoula Prostitution Ring Case”, CBS/KPAX-TV 8, December 17 2013.
- “Missoula Authorities Find Ways to Counter Human Trafficking”, CBS/KPAX-TV 8, June 5 2014.
- “Alleged ‘Pimp’ Arrested in Bozeman on Prostitution Charge,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, September 23 2015.
- https://www.greatfallstribune.com/my-montana/prostitution-gambling-widespread-throughout Montana (2018)
- https://missoulacurrent.com/missoula-prostitution (2019)
- https://mtstandard.com/washington-woman-charged-with-prostitution-at-missoula-motel-6/article (2021)
State | Montana |
Type | City |
Population | 74822 |
Location |
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