January 1, Colorado Police Sergeant Exposes How Traffickers Prey On Vulnerable Kids Right In Our Backyard

Wyatt’s Take

• Local cops in Aurora are proving that child trafficking isn’t some distant problem but a real danger happening in American neighborhoods.
• One small dedicated unit rescued 29 survivors including 15 minors and locked up 28 suspects in just its first year of work.
• Parents need to stay involved in their kids’ lives and watch for signs before predators fill the gaps with false promises.

Colorado police are sounding the alarm that human traffickers are exploiting children’s hunger desperation and need for affection right in our own communities.

Aurora Police Sergeant Joseph Sullivan says his unit’s first year of work showed how close this threat really is to everyday families.

“It is happening in our backyard not just in those other places” Sullivan said.

The dedicated Human Trafficking Unit opened 53 investigations arrested 28 suspects and recovered 29 survivors including 15 minors during its first year.

Investigators say many victims are not abducted off the street but are lured in through basic needs like food housing or affection.

“‘I really hope that you can find the people that are doing this because it really hurts what I’m having to do just to survive'” Sullivan recalled one 16-year-old survivor saying.

That same girl later died from an overdose just months after investigators reached her.

Commanders say the new unit was created to put survivors at the center of every case while aggressively pursuing the people exploiting them.

“The work they’ve done has made our community safer and sent a clear message that the Aurora Police Department will aggressively pursue anyone who exploits others for this type of heinous criminal activity” Investigations Bureau Cmdr. Marc Paolino said.

One of those arrested was Marshae Wheelock a 24-year-old Aurora resident accused of repeatedly preying on vulnerable children over several years.

Deputy Chief Mark Hildebrand called Wheelock exactly the kind of offender the new unit was built to stop.

Investigators warn that trafficking rarely looks like the dramatic kidnappings shown in movies.

Instead predators identify a need and offer to fill it in exchange for control over the victim.

“There is some kind of need that a trafficker identifies to exploit and that’s how they get in” Sullivan said.

The unit works with human services groups and nonprofits like From Silence to Saved to give victims real help beyond just making an arrest.

Sullivan says the problem crosses every boundary including income levels and family backgrounds.

“There really is no boundary on where we see victims” Sullivan said.

Parents are urged to stay involved in their children’s lives and watch for warning signs like unexplained cash new clothes or sudden disappearances over weekends.

Local tips from the community remain the best way for detectives to reach victims before it’s too late.

“We don’t turn away any kind of tips” Sullivan said.

Wyatt Matters

Hardworking families in Middle America already carry enough burdens without predators circling their children in the shadows. When local police get the tools and focus they need they can push back against the darkness and give kids a real chance at safety and a future worth fighting for.