Aurora Police Trafficking Unit Rescues 29, Arrests 28 in First Year

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 8

Aurora police said their Human Trafficking Unit recovered 29 survivors — including 15 minors — and arrested 28 suspects while opening 53 investigations in its first year.
September 2025's new unit focuses on sex-trafficking cases involving people 21 and younger, with three detectives and a supervising sergeant handling evidence-heavy cases that often require repeated contact before victims accept help.
Sgt. Joseph Sullivan said traffickers typically exploit needs such as housing, food, money, drugs or affection rather than stranger-abduction scenarios, making abuse harder for communities to recognize.
Among the cases, police cited a February undercover operation that recovered a 16-year-old girl and led to three suspects, and they identified 24-year-old Marshae Wheelock in multiple child-exploitation cases.
Aurora says the unit's second-year priority is to identify victims sooner through public tips and partnerships with nonprofits, human services and state-federal investigators because trafficking crosses neighborhoods, income levels and state lines.