Forsyth Township is a civil township of Marquette County, Michigan. Its population is roughy 6,200. It is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, about 10 miles inland from the shore of Lake Superior.  Prostitution and sex trafficking have been well-documented throughout the county, including Forsyth Township. The problems associated with the local commercial sex market led to the formation of the Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force to combat and prevent human trafficking.

Consumer level demand provides the revenue stream for all prostitution and sex trafficking, and has therefore been targeted by local law enforcement agencies as a strategy for prevention and response. Demand reduction tactics used in the township include the arrest of sex buyers and the public disclosure of their identities. For example, in December, 2022, a man was arrested and charged with six counts of child sexual abuse crimes following a lengthy investigation into his online activities. He was charged with one count of child sexually abusive activity, two counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, two counts of possession of child sexually abusive material and one count of prostitution/ engaging in the services of a minor, according to a Forsyth Township Police Department press release.  The man was arrested by the Michigan State Police in an investigation led by the Forsyth Township Police Department, and assisted by the Michigan State Police 8th District Computer Crimes Unit, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Marquette City Police Department, City of Green Bay, Wisconsin Police Department Detective Bureau and the Delta County Advocacy Center.  In addition to the arrest, a search warrant was executed at the man’s residence, where investigators found multiple internet-capable devices which were seized as evidence.