11 Men Arrested in Undercover Sex Trafficking Mission in Early December

The men responded to an undercover online ad.

Sex trafficking is a huge problem in our communities. Photo: Salem-News.com FILE

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - During the week of December 5 to December 10, 2016, the Portland Police Bureau's Sex Trafficking Unit conducted an undercover mission to address online sex trafficking.

Investigators posted online ads on known sex trafficking websites. 11 men contacted undercover police officers to arrange payment for sexual acts. Investigators were assisted by a Portland hotel as part of this effort.

For investigative reasons, the Sex Trafficking Unit is not sharing the specific website, application or ad text publicly.

The 11 men who responded to the ad and came to the hotel were arrested for the misdemeanor crime of Commercial Sexual Solicitation (Oregon Revised Statute 167.008).

The following is a list of the men arrested:

• 30-year old Stephen Townsend of Greenville, SC
• 59-year old Forrest Lytle of Sandy, OR
• [charge dismissed/name removed] of Happy Valley, OR
• [charge dismissed/name removed] of West Linn, OR
• 53-year old Javier Rangel of Hillsboro, OR
• 39-year old Jesse Hutton of Portland, OR
• 35-year old Aranda Gilberto Camacho of Hillsboro, OR
• 47-year old Jasmin Kaltak of Portland, OR
• 49-year old Guy Michael Barner of Phoenix, AZ
• [charge dismissed/name removed] of Portland, OR
• [charge dismissed/name removed] of Portland, OR

Sex trafficking and prostitution are not victimless crimes. Victims of sex trafficking and prostitution are forced, coerced, and manipulated into this lifestyle against their will. They are forced to suffer through physical, sexual, and mental abuse.

The Portland Police Bureau, in conjunction with other Federal and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to deterring prostitution and sex trafficking activities.

If you know or think that someone may be involved in trafficking or is being exploited, please contact the Portland Police Bureau's Sex Trafficking Unit at 503-255-0118, the Sexual Assault Resource Center hotline 1-800-640-5311; or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 1-800-843-5678 or via the Cyber Tipline: missingkids.org/CyberTipline

Source: Portland Police Bureau