On February 14, 2018, Trib Live reported the capture of Daniel Teed, a native of Marshall, Pennsylvania. According to court documents, Teed was convicted in 2017 of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. Instead of reporting to prison in January as he was directed, Teed fled to Arizona, where he was captured last week after a nation-wide search. He now faces additional charges that include failure to report to prison and failure to register as a sex offender.
Despite being described by his family as an upstanding businessman, Teed engaged in sexual intercourse with a minor during “parties” organized by former girls basketball coach Ralph Ruprecht. According to The Post Gazette, Teed allegedly argued during his sentencing that he did not realize the tenth-grader whom he had engaged in sex acts with was a minor, despite admissions in his plea bargain that he spoke to her about school activities and her college ambitions.
Ruprecht, who was convicted of raping teenage girls, allegedly advertised the women he trafficked on Craigslist and forced them to have sex with multiple men in Cranberry, Waynesburg, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He would allegedly threaten to tell his victims’ families that they were engaging in commercial sex and physically abuse them, as well.
Due heavily in part to motion pictures and other media portrayals, human trafficking is commonly associated with the sale of foreign nationals and because of this, many imagine that it happens “somewhere else”. However, in reality, trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation happen all over in the United States, to citizens and foreign nationals alike. Moreover, traffickers and sex buyers come from every walk of life. Those who buy and sell commercial sex from individuals trapped in exploitive situations could be a neighbour, a basketball coach, or the head of a local business. Those who are sold for sex also come every walk of life. Victims of commercial sexual exploitation could be individuals from a stable family, an at-risk youth, individuals experiencing homelessness, or even a successful college student. Unfortunately, past cases have shown us that potential victims could be anyone or anywhere.
The CSE Institute applauds the efforts of the federal investigators and police officers in Allegheny County, Flagstaff, and across the country who are targeting those who are trafficking individuals and those who purchase commercial sex . The CSE Institute also congratulates the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas for recognizing the minors exploited by Teed and Ruprecht as victims rather than criminals. Continued efforts to target demand is the first step in the fight to change the culture of exploitation and ensure that no human being is exploited.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.