On July 25, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office charged Christine Latchford, 33, for allegedly forcing a 16-year-old runaway into prostitution. The charges stem from an investigation following the minor’s supposed overdose in an abandoned property in Harrisburg. Among Latchford’s charges are 11 felonies, including trafficking in minors, involuntary servitude, sexual exploitation of children, unlawful contact with a minor, and promoting prostitution. Latchford was unable to post bail and awaits her preliminary hearing—scheduled for August 17—in Dauphin County Prison.
On June 3, police found the minor suffering from a presumed overdose in the Allison Hill area of Harrisburg and administered Narcan before taking her to the hospital. Two weeks later, after she had recovered, police interviewed the minor and learned that she ran away from home and purportedly encountered Latchford when she arrived in Harrisburg on May 25. The minor allegedly told police that Latchford had provided her with cocaine upon meeting her and the two lived on the streets together.
After five days, Latchford allegedly told the minor that she would abandon her unless she started to engage in prostitution, gave the minor a short dress, and taught her how to solicit sex buyers. The minor told police that she didn’t want to be left alone, so she performed sex acts on two separate men in exchange for $50 each, which she allegedly gave to Latchford to purchase drugs and clothing. The two later got into an argument and the minor left to sleep in an abandoned property. The next morning, the minor was approached by several men offering her a “20 dose” of heroin, which she alleges caused her to overdose. The minor told police that she believes Latchford sent the men after her because she wanted her dead.
Commercial sexual exploitation frequently intersects with substance use and dependency. In some cases, traffickers introduce their victims to drugs; in others, they exploit pre-existing substance use to maintain psychological and physical control. As appears to be the case here, traffickers may strategically use drugs to manipulate and control victims, strengthening their dependence on the exploiter and making escape more difficult. Latchford allegedly provided the minor victim with cocaine immediately upon meeting, establishing herself as the victim’s access point to drugs. After building reliance and trust with the victim over the course of five days, Latchford purportedly gave the 16-year-old an impossible choice: engage in prostitution or fend for herself on the streets.
Substance use can function both as a tool of coercion and a mechanism of control. At the same time, many survivors report developing addictions during exploitation as a coping mechanism to manage trauma, violence, and psychological distress. Trafficking survivors often experience severe physical and psychological trauma and may turn to substance use as a way to cope with their exploitation, particularly when access to mental health services and support systems are limited.
Recognizing the overlap between substance use and trafficking is critical for effective intervention. 18 Pa.C.S. § 3012(b)(12) explicitly identifies the facilitation or control of controlled substances as a means of coercion within trafficking offenses. By codifying substance-related manipulation as a legally recognized method of trafficking, the statute acknowledges that exploitation is often sustained not only through physical force or threats, but through dependency and addiction as well. Accordingly, effective responses must address both the criminal conduct of traffickers and the substance-related vulnerabilities and dependencies that are deliberately created or exploited.
The CSE Institute commends the efforts of the Dauphin County investigators and law enforcement involved in this case for their work addressing trafficking and exploitation in the Harrisburg area. We further encourage thorough investigation into the two alleged individuals who purchased sex acts from the victim. In line with the Equality Model, addressing the demand for commercial sex is an essential component of combatting sex trafficking and necessarily holds those who perpetuate the market for commercial sex—particularly when a minor is involved, as in this case—accountable for their crimes.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates on this matter.
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.