Patrick Adam Lathrop, 30, of Philadelphia, was arrested on January 14, 2023 by the Grant Police Department at Gerald R. Ford Airport near Grand Rapids for child sexually abusive activity, distributing sexually explicit material involving children, and using a computer to commit a crime. Lathrop is currently being held on a $75,000 bond. He and faces up to life in prison if found guilty of all the charged crimes. According to the Grant Police Department, a 16-year-old student spoke with a school resource officer after attending a workshop about human trafficking at their high school, and reported suspicious messages they had received online. The student report led to this investigation of Lathrop involving the Newaygo County Sheriff’s office, Michigan State Police, and the FBI.
The CSE Institute encourages people to think critically about information they read and messages they receive online, especially regarding human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. The CSE Institute wants to emphasize the importance of good training in recognizing trafficking and exploitation. Training professionals to help others recognize signs of trafficking leads to a safer and more informed world. The CSE Institute suggests looking at The CSE Institute website for information regarding commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking, as well as Equal Not Exploited, and World Without Exploitation as a starting point. Most importantly, we can all learn the most from listening to survivors. Survivors’ voices should lead the conversation surrounding trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
The CSE Institute commends the FBI, Grant Police Department, and Philadelphia Police Department, agents and officers who are working to combat commercial sexual exploitation and protect minors in the community. We fully support the efforts of the Grant Police Department to educate students on the perils and signs of human trafficking.
Anyone who has any additional information that could help the Grant Police Department is encouraged to call 231-834-7212.
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.