Carson City (Consolidated Municipality of Carson City) is an independent city and the Nevada state capital. It has a population of approximately 55,000 and is the sixth largest city in Nevada. Prostitution in the state of Nevada is legal in counties with populations under 700,000 residents and is illegal in counties with populations over 700,000 residents. In the State’s larger cities such as Carson City, Reno, and Las Vegas, prostitution is prohibited. Legal prostitution occurring within counties consisting of populations less than 700,000 residents, is strictly limited to licensed and regulated brothels. All other forms of prostitution remain illegal in the state of Nevada. Individuals seeking to purchase commercial sex outside of licensed and regulated brothels can be arrested and sanctioned. For more information about the Prostitution and Solicitation laws in Nevada click HERE.

Prostitution and sex trafficking are well-documented problems in Carson City and in surrounding areas. This activity and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates results in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses. Among the more serious crimes associated with local commercial sex market in Carson City is sex trafficking of adults and minors. For example, in December of 2016, a 23-year-old woman went to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office to report a crime. She alleged that a man had brought her and other women and girls to South Lake Tahoe for the purpose of prostitution. The offender was arrested in South Lake Tahoe and was initially held in the El Dorado County Jail on a $345,000 bail. The pimp/sex trafficker was identified as the individual responsible for a sex trafficking operation at a South Lake Tahoe motel. The offender was arrested on charges of pimping and prostitution of a 16-year-old or older person, conspiracy, threatening/terrorizing, and enhancement due to prior arrests. In 2016, officials believed that there were more victims, and the investigation was ongoing. The identity, photo, age, location, and charges of the arrested offender were included in reports from local news sources. In 2020, in a joint investigation led by the FBI with assistance from additional state and local agencies, including the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, 28 individuals were arrested after attempting to pay for sex with a minor. In order to continue conducting similar operations officials would not release details concerning the operation, other than that the operation was focused on targeting individuals seeking to pay minors for sex. According to officials, the operation identified seven predators on Monday, eight were arrested on Tuesday, five on Wednesday and eight on Thursday. All 28 individuals were arrested upon their arrival at a predetermined location by undercover officers. The identities, photos, ages, locations, and charges of arrested offenders were included in reports from local news sources.

Among the efforts to address prostitution and trafficking have been those seeking to reduce consumer level demand for commercial sex. For example, in August of 2021, seven men were arrested in a two-day sting funded and led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The operation was jointly planned and conducted by the FBI, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office: Special Enforcement Team (SET), and the Reno Police Department’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit, and sought to identify and arrest people seeking to pay to sexually abuse minors. Undercover detectives placed ads on websites commonly used by suspects seeking illegal sex acts. The men solicited and/or brokered deals and arrived at a location in Carson City to knowingly engage in and pay for sex acts with a minor. Most of the men were arrested on felony counts of soliciting a child for prostitution and attempted child abuse. Some suspects faced additional or alternate charges. The names and dates of birth of the men arrested in the operation were included in press releases. Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong stated his believed importance for investigations like these in Carson City:

“I’m proud of and thankful to all the agencies that participated. Juvenile sex trafficking is a priority to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and these stings will continue in an effort to reduce the demand that fuels the exploitation of children in our community.”