On February 12, Jayson Miller, 54, of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, was arrested for allegedly agreeing to pay $200 and travel from York to Pike County to rape a 10-year-old child. Miller was charged with criminal attempt to traffic individuals, criminal attempt to patronize a victim of sexual servitude, unlawful contact with a minor, criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, criminal attempt to rape a child, and criminal use of a communication facility.
According to investigators, Pike County detectives obtained information that Miller was willing to pay $200 in exchange for sexual contact with the minor. When Miller allegedly arrived at the agreed upon location, he was arrested. Investigators report they found a bag of candy that he purportedly brought for the minor victim in his possession.
Pike County District Attorney Tonkin credited the dedication of the detectives in the District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division to protect children from child predators; “this squad of detectives are dedicated to protecting children from those that prey on the most vulnerable of our community. We will investigate and prosecute child predators to the absolute best of our ability to remove them from society”, said DA Tonkin.
The CSE Institute commends the diligence of the Pike County District Attorney’s Office and the Pike County Criminal Investigation Division for their efforts in investigating and arresting Miller. We are pleased to see Pike County utilize the human trafficking statute as the legislature intended by targeting those who create the demand for child sex trafficking: the buyers.
Pennsylvania’s comprehensive human trafficking law was enacted in 2014. It adopts a broad definition of trafficking that encompasses traffickers in the traditional “pimp” role, as well as facilitators and those who buy sex. To prove sex trafficking of a minor, the prosecution only has to prove that an individual recruited, enticed, solicited, patronized, advertised, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, or maintained a child for purposes of commercial sex. Any form of commercial sexual exploitation of minors constitutes sex trafficking because minors cannot consent to being bought or sold for sexual acts. Likewise, any sexual act with a ten-year old child is rape.
We must persist in appropriately prosecuting the exploitation of young, vulnerable individuals, as doing so will significantly decrease the demand for commercial sex and reduce human trafficking as a whole.
We urge law enforcement to continue taking steps to protect their communities by conducting thorough investigations into suspected sex trafficking and encourage prosecutors statewide to utilize the human trafficking statutes when appropriate. By strengthening enforcement efforts and prioritizing the prosecution of these crimes, we can work toward dismantling trafficking networks and safeguarding vulnerable individuals and children from harm.
Miller is currently in Pike County Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 bail. His preliminary hearing, originally scheduled for February 25, was continued to March 19.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates as they become available.
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