Milwaukee activist teen sex assault charges; facing decades in prison
39-year-old Corey Kirkwood has been charged with sexually assaulting and trafficking a child.
The Milwaukee man is accused of luring a 15-year-old girl to his home at Palmer and Chambers in October.
He's being held on a $100,000 bond.
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee activist who might best be known for his involvement with a flag burning protest outside a GOP debate in 2015 is getting unwanted attention again.
This time, it's much more serious.
What we know
39-year-old Corey Kirkwood has been charged with sexually assaulting and trafficking a child.
He is facing the following counts:
Trafficking a child
Two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age
Two counts of child enticement
Two counts of soliciting a child for prostitution
Bail jumping (felony)
The Milwaukee man is accused of luring a 15-year-old girl to his home at Palmer and Chambers in October.
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A criminal complaint explains that another teen asked the girl to join her at Kirkwood's home to smoke, but the situation quickly turned scary.
Prosecutors say Kirkwood strapped the girl to a bed and forced her into sex, filming it.
The victim told police he used that video to traffick her and sell her online for sex.
What they're saying
Carmen Pitre is the president and CEO of the Sojourner Family Peace Center and works with trafficking survivors. She says no community is immune and abusers prey on the vulnerable.
"There are people who look for kids who are vulnerable in that way and they pull them into these very dangerous situations," Pitre said. "Once kids find themselves there, it is very hard to find a doorway out to freedom."
The backstory
Kirkwood first made headlines a decade ago after he admitted to stepping on a burning American flag.
In the years that followed, he became an activist speaking out against violence.
What's next
Kirkwood faces decades in prison if convicted.
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He's being held on a $100,000 bond.
The Source
The information in this post was provided by online court records as well as the criminal complaint associated with this case.
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