6 Men Face Charges Following 'Guardian Angel' Sex Trafficking Sting
HASTINGS, Minn. (WCCO) -- Six men face sex trafficking charges after an undercover operation earlier this month in Hastings.
Investigators say the men responded to online ads and expected to have sexual encounters with young girls.
They were arrested as part of Operation Guardian Angel.
Sex trafficking is said to be a $30 billion a year business in the United States.
Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said the six men charged are prime examples of those who fuel the illegal activity.
The suspects were identified as: 33-year-old Christopher Lauyans of Maplewood, 26-year-old Dallas Lloyd of Zimmerman, 24-year-old Phengie Lee of Minneapolis, 48-year-old Kerry Mausolf of Cottage Grove, 36-year-old Jason Slattum of Stone City, Iowa, and 39-year Joshua Wood of Rosemount.
On Sept. 10, undercover officers posted ads online using Craigslist and Backpage.com.
Investigators say the men offered to pay money to have sex with girls they thought were 15-and 17-year-old girls.
Police arrested the men when they showed up at Hastings Country Inn expecting services.
To help stop sex trafficking, police say hotel managers can look out for customers who only pay with cash, show up without luggage, and young girls who are made up to look older and show signs of physical abuse.