YCSO PART OF MULTI-AGENCY CHILD SEX CRIMES/TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE

Published on April 01, 2025

Human Trafficking Detectives with Partners Against Narcotics Trafficking (PANT) joined forces with 10 other law enforcement entities in the North Star Task Force operation in northern Arizona, which culminated in nearly 30 arrests for sex crimes involving children.

Over the course of six months, the North Star Task Force, which included YCSO, led a series of multiagency operations targeting child sex trafficking and exploitation, with about one-third of those taken into custody charged with major felonies tied to serious crimes such as luring of a minor, aggravated luring of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, pandering, and child sex trafficking. The other arrests were for misdemeanor prostitution charges.

The North Star Task Force is an extensive enforcement effort which brings together local, county, state, and federal agencies including the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Havasu City Police Department, Scottsdale Police Department, Chandler Police Department, Mesa Police Department, Surprise Police Department, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Coconino County Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshals Service. Nonprofit partners also played a vital role, offering essential support throughout the operations, centered in Flagstaff.

Task Force officials said, "Of those arrested, nearly all were local members of northern Arizona communities living and working among us. Their arrests underscore the deeply concerning reality that child exploitation is not a distant or rare occurrence; it is a prevalent and ongoing issue hiding in plain sight. These individuals believed they could operate unnoticed, but our message is clear: if you exploit children, we will find you."

While the arrest of these suspects marks a significant victory, the Flagstaff Police Department emphasized that this operation also exposed wider patterns of exploitation that will continue to be addressed with urgency and resolve. “We will remain relentless in our pursuit of justice and protection for the vulnerable. These crimes will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods. This multiagency operation highlights the strength of collaboration between law enforcement and community partners in confronting one of the most serious threats to public safety and human dignity", said Task Force Lead Detective Bethany Hyde.