Man sentenced in 2020 human trafficking case
DENVER (KDVR) — A man who was found with two runaway teenage girls during a traffic stop in 2020 was convicted of human trafficking charges and sentenced to 36 years to life in the Department of Corrections, according to a release from the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office.
Kenneth T. Noel, 34, a resident of Texas, was pulled over for a routine traffic stop in 2020 after he was spotted driving in the left lane only of Interstate 70, while no other traffic was around. Colorado law states drivers should remain in the right lane unless actively passing another driver or avoiding a road hazard.
Denver weather: Timing, impacts of severe storms Memorial Day weekend
A Colorado State trooper pulled over the vehicle, a BMW, and proceeded with the traffic stop. A woman was driving, Noel was in the passenger seat and two 14-year-old girls were in the back seat.
The teenagers initially gave fake names to the trooper, but were eventually identified as two runaway juveniles. The two said they were traveling to Nevada to work as strippers. One of the teens also said that Noel had assaulted her the previous night.
During the trial, Noel was linked to human trafficking through several key pieces of evidence, which included online sexual advertisements that exploited the woman driving, and a further investigation revealed the ads featured in cities across the United States.
'Sadly, human trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar industry in the United States,' Chief Deputy District Attorney Jacob Kremin said. 'Statistics show that victims who are subjected to human trafficking at 13 or 14-years-old simply will likely not live to see their 21st birthday if they don't escape this illegal enterprise. I commend the state trooper in this case for being observant in identifying red flags during a traffic stop that ultimately led to the safe recovery of two teens and a third adult victim. The sentence imposed guarantees the defendant will not be able to victimize anyone else in the foreseeable future.'
The sentencing on Friday fell two years short of the maximum sentence allowed under Colorado law.
After trial in February, Noel was found guilty by a jury on multiple felony charges, including:
Attempted human trafficking of a minor, Class 3 felony
Human trafficking of an adult, Class 3 felony
Pimping, Class 3 felony
Sexual assault on a child, Class 4 felony
The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said that the outcome would not have been achieved without the help of the Colorado State Patrol, an investigator from its own office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Arrest made in Littleton financial fraud case: Police
'Survivors of human trafficking endure profound physical and emotional abuse, facing trauma that can leave lasting scars on their health and well-being. Thankfully, in the case, the perpetrator was intercepted by Colorado State Patrol, who recognized the signs and engaged with FBI Denver's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force,' said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mar Michalek. 'After nearly five years, with assistance along the way from FBI Kansas City and FBI Houston — as well as support from community service providers — the survivors were able to watch a judge sentence their abuser to prison, where he won't be able to victimize additional juveniles or adults.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Joint agency surge operation cracking down on dangerous driving
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — On Friday, multiple agencies joined together to conduct a surge operation to crack down on dangerous driving. WesternSlopeNow was allowed to ride-along with Officer Vaughn Soderquist, a member of the force for 12 1/2 years. Soderquist says a lot of the dangerous driving behaviors officers see on patrol are speeding. 'Number one is speed,' says Soderquist. 'People [are] not adhering to the speed limits. Another big problem that we have, or that is reported to us in complaints, is people running red lights and the aggressive driving behavior like quickly changing lanes or speeding around people.' Over the past five years, troopers in Mesa County investigated 83 crashes in June. Last year, seven of those included serious injuries. The rise of dangerous driving can be attributed to an increase in people on the roads during the summer season. Captain Matt Ozanic with Colorado State Patrol said, 'there's more people on the road, there's more travelers. People going camping or going to festivals.' Recently, the Colorado Department of Transportation released a report on another dangerous driving behavior; distracted driving. The passage of the hands-free law, states as of January 1, 2025, Colorado drivers must not hold a cell phone or other mobile device while driving. 'The intent of this law is to reduce the number of crashes that involve inattentive or distracted drivers,' says Regional Communications Manager for the CDOT NW region Chuck Marsh. Marsh says the law has made a difference. 'In the first five months, preliminary data is showing that because of this law,' says Marsh, 'we're looking at inattentive driving crashes being down about 19%.' Helping combat all of these dangerous driving behaviors are these surge operations that Ozanic says have been taking place since late 2022 and have proven to be very effective. Remember, if you observe a dangerous driver on the roads, report their actions to the Colorado State Patrol by dialing *277. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Investigators seek possible victims of sex offender accused of crimes involving a child
DENVER (KDVR) — A convicted sex offender was arrested in Arapahoe County for allegedly trying to lure and sexually exploit a child, and investigators are asking the public for help finding more victims. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Holland Langhorn-Padilla, 32, was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Centennial, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office announced Friday. He was taken into custody on several charges, including: Sexual Exploitation of a Child Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child Internet Luring of a Child Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material Habitual Sex Offender Against Children He also allegedly resisted and assaulted an investigator trying to arrest him. The charges stem from a six-month-long investigation involving the Crimes Against Children Unit, which found that Langhorn-Padilla 'was sexually exploiting children and in possession of materials containing child sexual abuse,' the sheriff's office said in a press release. Investigators said that Langhorn-Padilla, a convicted sex offender, tried to sexually exploit and lure a 12-year-old girl by harassing her via texts. The girl got his number from two of her friends, who Langhorn-Padilla was contacting through the app Snapchat. He allegedly urged the girl to meet with him to exchange sexual favors for vape devices and alcohol. The sheriff's office said investigators have reason to believe that there are more victims out there, and they are asking the public for help in trying to find them. Langhorn-Padilla is described as: 5 feet 9 inches 250 lbs Brown hair Brown eyes Stretched/gauged ears Distinct tattoos Additional booking photos show large tattoos of skulls on his right arm sleeve, a ram with an upside-down cross on the left fore-arm, and '666' vertically tattooed near his right ear. The sheriff's office said he was driving a 2020 black Chevy Impala with license plate EEJO88 when he tried to meet with the victim, but he is also known to drive a 2014 gray Hyundai Sonata with a temporary registration plate number 7360443. Langhorn-Padilla used the Snapchat usernames of 'noise666' and n666iser' and the phone number 720-666-1646. The sheriff's office asks anyone with information on the case or who knows someone who may have communicated with, was extorted by, or exploited by Langhorn-Padilla to contact the tip line at 720-874-8477. Langhorn-Padilla was booked into the Arapahoe County Detention Facility, and he is being held on a $150,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Chilean foursome arrested in $3-million Simi Valley jewelry heist. Here's what police recovered
Security footage captured inside a strip mall showed three male suspects casing a Simi Valley jewelry store days before it was burglarized last month for more than $3 million in jewelry and other valuables. The men inspected ceiling access, potential camera angles and sat beside the shared wall separating 5 Star Jewelry & Watch Repair and a candy shop it bordered May 20, authorities allege. One of the suspects even mimicked spray-painting over a security camera, authorities allege. Five days later, the suspects broke into the adjacent sweet shop overnight through the roof, used ladders and ropes to propel down, blacked out surveillance cameras and spent hours boring a hole through a wall and into a 5,000-pound safe to make off with jewelry, bullion, cash and heirlooms belonging to the jewelry store's customers, according to a criminal complaint. That security footage was key in arresting four Chilean nationals with ties to an international theft ring, according to Simi Valley police. The suspects were charged with four felonies, Ventura County Dist. Atty. Erik Nasarenko announced at a press conference in front of the jewelry and repair shop Friday morning. Manuel Ibarra, 38, Camilo Lara, 32, Sergio Mejia-Machuca, 27, and Heidy Trujillo, 26, were charged with two counts of conspiracy to receive stolen property and two counts of conspiracy to commit commercial burglary. Read more: Burglars clean out father-son jewelers, snatch heirlooms, 'a lifetime's worth of work' Nasarenko added that the offenses carried additional enhancements since the burglary drew more than $3 million. He added that the defendants could spend between six and nine years in state prison, if found guilty on all counts. All four defendants entered not guilty pleas Thursday and are being held on $100,000 bail. The group is due back in court June 23. A representative from the Ventura County public defender's office was not available to comment on behalf of the accused. Nasarenko thanked Simi Valley police for investigating, arresting and charging the defendants within a short span. 'This happened within three weeks of the date of the alleged offenses, bringing accountability and a measure of justice to the city of Simi Valley and the independent small businesses that make it such a tight-knit and supportive community,' he said. Jewelry store owner Jonathan Youssef described the arrests as 'bittersweet.' Read more: In cinema-style heist, tunneling thieves steal millions in gold, jewels from downtown L.A. store 'It's nice that they're off the streets, but we're not getting much of anything back,' he told The Times. Simi Valley Police Chief Steve Shorts said officers recovered about $600,000 in confirmed stolen property and jewelry, including matches to 5 Star's inventory. He added that more than $20,000 in cash was also recovered. The break-in was reported on Memorial Day. Simi Valley police received a call at 6:33 a.m. from Jonathan and his father, Jacoub Youssef. At the time, Jonathan estimated his store lost between $2 million and $2.5 million in cash and inventory — gold bullion, silver bars, white gold and platinum pieces, multiple high-end watches and center-stone diamond engagement rings. Shorts confirmed that some recovered timepieces were Rolex, TAG Heuer and Omega watches that fit 5 Star's inventory. Most of the stolen inventory consisted of roughly 100 pieces of jewelry from neighborhood clients that were being repaired or restored by the Youssefs. Read more: Long Beach man who bragged about crime on Instagram pleads guilty to $2.6-million jewelry heist Jonathan said he's aware of some of what has been recovered, which includes several loose stones that were 'ripped out of" larger gold jewelry that he believes has already been scrapped. He said the thieves 'were really quick' in unloading the jewelry. 'My father and I are melancholic,' Jonathan said. 'In the end, these criminals are getting a few years of prison time for ruining the lives of so many people and forever damaging so many people. It's a slap on the wrist.' Jonathan said he was thankful for many community fundraisers and online campaigns that have helped recoup a small portion of the losses. Outside the valuables recovered, Shorts said detectives discovered commercial burglary tools and jewelry testing equipment during the arrest of the suspects. He said police also uncovered a firearm taken from a separate pawn shop burglary in Los Angeles in which a wall was similarly breached, but he declined to further discuss other burglaries that the crew may have committed. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
