Woodfin, NC

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

Woodfin is a small town of about 8,100 residents in Buncombe County, North Carolina. It is located in the western part of the state, near Asheville.  Prostitution and sex trafficking activity are known to occur throughout the region, and individuals known to sexually exploit minors are known to reside in the town of Woodfin. For example, in 2007 a registered sex offender with a prior conviction for solicitation of prostitution filed suit to challenge a local ordinance that prohibits registered sex offenders from knowingly entering any public park owned and operated by the town of Woodfin. In February, 2021 the Woodfin Police Department arrested a man on charges of multiple sex crimes with children, including kidnapping and sexual servitude of a child, which is classified as a “sex trafficking” charge in North Carolina.  The man, who was identified in news releases, was charged with a total of 15 felonies:  kidnapping (2 counts); statutory sexual offense with a child by an adult (3 counts); sexual servitude-child victim (4 counts); 2nd degree forced sexual offense (3 counts); and indecent liberties with a child (3 counts).  The defendant was initially held in the Buncombe County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond.

Key Partners

  • Woodfin Police Department
  • Buncombe County Detention Center
  • Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office

Key Sources

Arrest of Sex Buyer, Identity Disclosure:

Background on Local Prostitution and Sex Trafficking:

Background on Prostitution and Sex Trafficking in the Region:

Documented Violence Against Individuals Engaged in Prostitution in the Region:

State North Carolina
Type City
Population 8107
Location
Comments are closed.