Antoinette Edwards, the city’s director of youth violence prevention, said she is seeing more gang members move into human trafficking as a way to make money.
One of the four men accused of making child pornography with local kids and putting it on YouTube faced a judge on Friday.
Terry Scott, 18, is charged with rape, sexual abuse and sodomy.
Investigators say there is a gang connection to the case. They’re concerned that some gang members are ditching drug dealing in favor of human trafficking.
Law enforcement sources told KATU that Scott and three other suspects in the case had a party and recorded themselves having sex with two underage girls. Police said the suspects then felt safe enough to put the video on YouTube.
The police bureau is using this case as an example of how detectives have to adapt to catch criminals.
Antoinette Edwards, the city’s director of youth violence prevention, said she is seeing more gang members move into human trafficking as a way to make money.
“It’s less risky (for the gangs) because if you can get to someone and take advantage of their mind and their vulnerability, they’re taking the risk and you’re not going to be caught with the drugs,” Edwards said.
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