In Colorado, human trafficking often hides in plain sight: a direct message on social media, a too-good-to-be-true job offer, or a seemingly normal relationship. Investigators say victims are frequently young and groomed through promises and coercion instead of dramatic kidnappings by strangers. That everyday appearance makes the crime hard to spot until someone has been exploited for months or even years.
Federal and local investigators working in the Denver metro area describe a pattern that looks very different from viral social media posts about parking lot abductions. “Trafficking depends on vulnerability, coercion, and manipulation,” FBI victim specialist Anne Darr told Sentinel Colorado. Reporting cited Colorado Bureau of Investigation figures showing sex-trafficking charges of 87 in 2023, 73 in 202,4 and 78 in 2025, with labor-trafficking charges at 26, 22, and 20 across those same years. Investigators say those totals help explain why task forces and victim-service teams in the metro area have shifted toward prevention and repeated outreach to at-risk youth.
Where the State Points Callers
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation maintains a dedicated human-trafficking investigative team and a statewide resource page with guidance on how to report concerns. The agency lists a 24/7 Colorado Human Trafficking Hotline (866-455-5075) and a tip text line for people who may not feel safe calling. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation notes that trafficking includes both sexual and labor exploitation and that suspected child trafficking should be reported to child-welfare authorities.
Runaways and Risk
National numbers help explain why local officials focus so heavily on young people who run away. Of the endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in recent years, about one in six were likely victims of child sex trafficking, a ratio that places runaway and foster-care youth at particular risk. NCMEC and advocates say prior contact with child-welfare systems and repeated runaway incidents create vulnerabilities that traffickers look for and exploit.
Recruitment Now Often Starts Online
Technology has reshaped how traffickers find and control victims. Social apps, messaging platforms, and online classifieds allow traffickers to build trust, move conversations out of public view, and transport victims across cities with relative ease. Thorn’s survivor-based study found that a large share of survivors either encountered traffickers online or were advertised online, and that online grooming has become a dominant pathway into exploitation. Thorn ties younger ages of entry and rapid online recruitment to the growth of web-based ads and platforms.
Legal Landscape and New Legislation
State lawmakers have tried to keep pace with these realities. A bill introduced this session, SB26-015, would recast several offenses related to commercial sexual activity with a child and require minimum presumptive sentences for those crimes. The Colorado General Assembly lists the bill as introduced. Colorado already treats trafficking a child as a serious felony and requires immediate reporting to child-welfare authorities under state law, and existing statutes set mandatory sentencing ranges for many related offenses. The code also includes specific language on reporting duties and victim-service provisions, detailed in Colorado statutes.
What Investigators Are Seeing in Metro Denver
Across the Denver metro area, multiple agencies, including Aurora Police and county sheriff offices, operate specialized trafficking units and work with the FBI task force on prevention efforts and prosecutions. Reporting by Sentinel Colorado highlights prosecutions in the 18th Judicial District where cooperation from juvenile victims led to lengthy sentences. Investigators say those outcomes underscore how difficult these cases are and how much they depend on patient, trauma-informed work with survivors.
How Neighbors Can Help
If you suspect trafficking, officials say to call local law enforcement for emergencies. For non-emergency reporting and victim referrals, Colorado’s 24/7 Human Trafficking Hotline is 866-455-5075, and people can text “Help” to 720-999-9724. For national assistance, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, operated by Polaris, is available at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting 233733. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the National Human Trafficking Hotline maintain directories of local service providers and detailed reporting guidance…