On March 25, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the arrest of Michael C. Choma, 45, of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania for allegedly orchestrating a human trafficking operation for several years throughout Dauphin County and Cumberland County.
According to the Attorney General’s office, Choma allegedly used the websites “Backpage” and “Skip the Games” to recruit female victims and advertise commercial sex between 2017 and 2021. Both “Backpage” and “Skip the Games” are websites known for facilitating prostitution and sex trafficking. “Backpage” was seized by the federal government in 2018.
Officials arrested Choma on March 21, and charged him with seventy-three offenses following a joint investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Section and the Pennsylvania State Police’s Organized Crime Unit. Choma’s charges include several counts each of trafficking in individuals, involuntary servitude, rape, promoting prostitution, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault, sexual assault, and delivery of a controlled substance. During Choma’s arraignment, A Dauphin County District Judge denied bail, deeming Choma a “threat to victims and society.”
According to officials, Choma allegedly used violence, access to controlled substances, duress, and debt coercion to exploit and exert control over his victims. Choma allegedly handled the advertisements that were posted on “Backpage” and “Skip the Games,” managed all the money paid by sex buyers, and conducted all communication with the sex buyers. Choma also allegedly kept most of the money from the operation for himself, giving only a small percentage of the money from the sex buyers to the victims. Additionally, Choma arranged for some victims to perform sexual acts on known drug suppliers in exchange for controlled substances, which Choma is also alleged to have kept for himself.
Choma is also alleged to have sexually assaulted some of the victims after they were drugged with GHB, a “date rape drug”, that caused the women to become unconscious prior to the assault.
Attorney General Sunday said, “the collaborative work led by our Human Trafficking Section exposed a defendant who allegedly preyed on individuals struggling with substance abuse and other hardships. This conduct was nothing short of cruel and dehumanizing.”
The CSE Institute commends the work of the Attorney General Office’s Human Trafficking Section and the Pennsylvania State Police’s Organized Crime Unit for its diligent investigation of Choma’s crimes. Additionally, the Institute is pleased with their collaborative effort in pursuing these charges and for taking affirmative action against human trafficking in Pennsylvania.
Furthermore, the CSE Institute applauds the Attorney General’s recognition of the unfortunate correlation between commercial sexual exploitation and substance abuse. A commercial sex act is defined as “a sex act for which anything of value is given to or received by a person.” Drugs are a thing of value, especially to a vulnerable person with a substance dependency. Many traffickers attempt to target the vulnerabilities of their victims by appealing to their addiction.
Addiction and trafficking are inherently interrelated with the trauma victims experience throughout their exploitation. Whether victims had prior trauma to being exploited or developed trauma due to their exploitation, drugs and alcohol often become a coping mechanism used to numb the pain of abuse. This cycle of abuse and addiction allow traffickers to maintain control over their victims, while also giving the sex buyers the tool to exploit this addiction by purchasing the victim with drugs.
The CSE Institute wholeheartedly supports the Attorney General’s efforts to spotlight this crucial issue and joins the General Sunday in recognizing human trafficking as a crime that requires greater public awareness and visibility.
Choma’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 10.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates as they become available.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.