KANSAS CITY —The Clay County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, led a counter-human trafficking operation Jan. 23 and 24 that resulted in the arrest of two men who sought to have sex with a child, as well as services provided to more than a dozen potential trafficking victims.
Two men identified as 33-year-old Jose Trinidad-Diaz of Kansas City, Mo. / Mexico and 34-year-old Dominic Shelby of Kansas City, Kan. have been charged with felony attempted child enticement after they tried to meet whom they believed to be a 14-year-old girl for sex.
It was actually under-cover detectives who had been chatting with them online and by text message.
At the same time as the predator operation, investigators conducted a victim advocacy operation at a Clay County hotel. They had posted an online ad purportedly soliciting sex, knowing that many sex workers are victims of human trafficking. Twenty-seven sex workers responded to the hotel, and 13 agreed to accept services to leave a life of sex trafficking and/or sex work. Advocates from the organizations Value Unconditional and Relentless Pursuit met with them to begin giving them resources for their journeys.