A Wayne County jury recently found 41-year-old Noel Brown guilty of trafficking in minors, among other charges. Brown’s conviction is the fourth in Pennsylvania under Act 105, the state’s comprehensive human trafficking statute enacted in 2014.
The crime occurred in late June 2016, when Brown lured the 15-year-old victim from her residence and transported her to a Days Inn hotel in Tannersville, Pennsylvania to engage in sexual acts with his “clients.” Brown utilized alcohol to intoxicate the victim and posted a partially nude photo of her on the internet.
Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards noted that Brown was the first person to be prosecuted under Act 105 in Wayne County. In announcing Brown’s conviction, Ms. Edwards stated:
“The crime of sex trafficking of a minor is one that plays out over and over across our country. Unlike the crime of drug delivery where the drug can only be sold once, humans can be sold over and over for profit by individuals like this defendant. I am glad that the issue was brought to light and that this defendant will be unable to corrupt any more young females. The jury today made a strong statement regarding the defendant’s dangerous and disgusting conduct directed at a fifteen-year-old girl.”
The CSE Institute applauds Ms. Edwards and her office’s efforts to prosecute traffickers under Pennsylvania’s comprehensive human trafficking statute. The CSE Institute also encourages other prosecutors across the state to become familiar with Act 105 and its various provisions.