Colorado man arrested, accused of child sex assault, investigators believe there are more victims
A Colorado man has been arrested for human trafficking and investigators are concerned there may be more potential victims. Ivan Banuelos Gandara was arrested on several charges including human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude, soliciting for child prostitution, sex assault on a child and internet luring of a child.
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office was notified of a child sexual assault victim in February who told investigators the suspect, later identified as Gandara, offered her cash and paraphernalia in exchange for sexual acts with himself and others. At least one additional juvenile victim has been identified.
Gandara is facing the following charges: human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude, soliciting for child prostitution, sex assault on a child, enticement of a child, internet luring of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, and offenses related to marijuana.
Gandara was booked into the Larimer County Jail and issued a $75,000 bond by the Larimer County Court.
"We have to protect our children from those that would seek to exploit their vulnerability," said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen in a statement. "We strive to foster a community where all children can feel safe, secure, and able to thrive."
Additional Information from the Larimer County Sheriff's Office:
Investigators are concerned that there may be other victims. Anyone with information about incidents involving this suspect should contact Investigator Marcus Simelane at 970-498-5515. People who want to stay anonymous can also contact Crime Stoppers of Larimer County at 970-221-6868 or www.stopcriminals.org.
RESOURCES
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, support resources are available in our community:
SAVA Center
https://savacenter.org/
Fort Collins: (970) 472-4204
Loveland: (970) 775-2962
The Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center provides crisis intervention, advocacy, and counseling for all those affected by sexual violence in Northern Colorado while also providing prevention programs through community outreach and education.
ChildSafe
https://www.childsafecolorado.org/
970-472-4133
ChildSafe supports child and adult victims of childhood abuse, particularly child sexual abuse, and their non-offending family members.
Crawford Child Advocacy Center
https://crawfordcac.org/
(970) 407-9739
The CCAC works to prevent child maltreatment (primarily physical and sexual abuse), and they provide services to help caseworkers and investigators stop perpetrators, protect victims, and support survivors and families.
Estes Valley Crisis Advocates
https://www.crisisadvocates.org/
Call: (970) 577-9781
Text: (513) 970-3822
Estes Valley Crisis Advocates provides an array of free and confidential services to survivors of crime and trauma.
SummitStone Health Partners
https://www.summitstonehealth.org/
(970) 494-4200
SummitStone provides counseling for psychological, emotional, and behavioral problems, domestic violence and sexual assault victims, and drug and alcohol problems. Individual, family and group therapy are available.
