Rocky Mountain Innocence Lost Task Force

Our November spotlight is on the Rocky Mountain Innocence Lost Task Force (RMILTF). Founded in 2012, the RMILTF is one of several law enforcement task forces across the country funded by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), including domestic minor sex trafficking.  RMILTF represents a joint effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Task force members include representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the police departments of Denver and Aurora, the Colorado State Patrol, and the sheriff departments of both Arapahoe and Douglas County, along with an investigator with the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s office. Since its formation, RMILTF has recovered nearly 400 minors, arrested over 100 traffickers and trained over 20,000 individuals on how to identify and respond to potential CSEC and domestic minor sex trafficking situations.

RMILTF has routinely seen success during Operation Cross Country (OCC), the FBI’s annual nationwide law enforcement effort focused on recovering minors exploited through commercial sex. This year marked the 10th annual operation. Held over three days in October, this year’s regional OCC involved the collaborative efforts of over 280 law enforcement personnel, from 38 participating law enforcement agencies, who utilized a variety of methods to locate potentially exploited minors across Colorado and Wyoming.  Of note during this year’s operation, RMILTF personnel worked to identify commercially sexually exploited youth via social media sites and dating applications.  Over the last two years, RMILTF noted an increase in the use of such applications by traffickers and sex buyers alike to identify and exploit children.  RMILTF ranked second in the nation for OCC child recoveries and in the number of traffickers arrested. Overall, 9 juveniles (5 females and 4 males) were recovered and 11 traffickers and 32 buyers of commercial sex were arrested.  To learn how your law enforcement agency may become involved with RMILTF or to report a tip, please contact the FBI-Denver Office at (303) 629-7171.