Why Sex Trafficking May Be Charged in Federal Sex Crime Cases

 Posted on February 26, 2026 in Criminal Defense

Over the past several years, there have been a number of high-profile cases involving alleged sex crimes. People like Jeffrey Epstein, R. Kelly, Sean "Diddy" Combs, and Harvey Weinstein have been accused of offenses involving sexual assault, sexual exploitation, and other related crimes, and they have faced prosecution in state or federal courts. In many of these cases, prosecutors have pursued charges of sex trafficking rather than focusing on offenses affecting individual victims.

There are a variety of reasons why sex trafficking charges have become more common, and they are often related to whether prosecutors believe that they will be able to secure convictions. People who have been accused of sex trafficking or related sex crimes will need to understand the steps they can take to defend against these charges. An attorney who has experience representing clients in federal courts and addressing sex crime accusations can provide guidance on the options for defense that may be available.

What Is Sex Trafficking?

People may encounter some confusion about what exactly constitutes sex trafficking and when a person may be charged with this offense. The U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 provided a definition of sex trafficking, which involves inducing a person to engage in commercial sex acts by force, coercion, or fraud.

In general, sex trafficking involves three components:

• Acts: A person may be considered a sex trafficker if they engage in acts such as recruiting, harboring, or transporting a person for the purposes of engaging in commercial sex acts. 
• Means: A sex trafficker may use force or threats to compel a person to engage in prostitution or other acts, or they may coerce a victim into complying through debt manipulation, threats to a person’s reputation, or other means. Fraud may also be a means of sex trafficking in which a person is deceived into engaging in commercial sexual activity.
• Purpose: A person’s actions when engaging in sex trafficking will be done for the purpose of exploiting someone else, typically to earn a profit from commercial sex acts.

Sex trafficking may involve prostitution or other forms of commercial sexual activity that may take place in brothels, hotels, massage parlors, or private residences. While force, fraud or coercion will be an element of a sex trafficking offense in cases involving adult victims, these elements will not need to be proven in cases involving victims who are minors, since children cannot legally consent to engage in commercial sex acts.

Notably, the movement of a victim is not required for a person to be charged with sex trafficking. While some forms of human trafficking may involve transporting people across multiple states or countries, sex trafficking charges may apply in any case involving exploitation and coercion, even if it took place in a single location.

Why Prosecutors May Pursue Sex Trafficking Charges

Between 2013 and 2023, the number of federal prosecutions for human trafficking increased by 73 percent. U.S. attorneys are now more likely to pursue charges of sex trafficking than other types of sex crimes.

The primary reason for this trend is that it is easier for prosecutors to bring sex trafficking charges and obtain convictions than to prosecute alleged offenders for rape or sexual assault. Accusations of sexual assault can be difficult to prove, since evidence may be limited, and charges may be based on testimony from alleged victims.

The laws addressing sex trafficking are often broader than those that define sexual assault, and prosecutors may have more opportunities to charge defendants with crimes involving allegations of sexual exploitation through force or coercion. However, some experts on human trafficking have raised concerns about the misuse of sex trafficking laws to bring charges against defendants. When prosecutors claim that sex trafficking has occurred in situations that should not have qualified, this can make it more difficult for people to believe victims or for sex traffickers to be held accountable in other cases.

Contact Our Connecticut Sex Crimes Defense Lawyers

When a person has been accused of sex trafficking or other sex crimes, a strong defense from an experienced lawyer can be crucial. At Woolf & Ross Law Firm, LLC, our Hartford sex crimes attorneys can help address federal sex trafficking charges or state-level sexual offenses. We work to protect the rights of our clients, help them respond to these serious allegations, and develop strong defense strategies that will allow them to resolve these cases successfully. Contact us today at 860-290-8690 to arrange a free consultation.