Human Trafficking

Nevada's trafficking statutes cover a broad range of conduct. The main categories are:

• Sex trafficking — inducing, coercing, or benefiting from another person's participation in commercial sex acts. When force, fraud, or coercion is used, or when the victim is a minor, the penalties escalate dramatically.
• Labor trafficking — compelling someone to perform labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion. This can arise in employment, domestic work, or commercial settings.
• Pandering — inducing an adult into prostitution without force is separately addressed as a Category C felony. Prosecutors sometimes charge pandering and trafficking in the same case.
• Facilitating — assisting with transportation, logistics, or arrangements that support trafficking, even without direct involvement in the underlying act.

One thing the statute is explicit about: consent is not a defense when the victim is a minor, and claiming ignorance of a minor's age is also not a defense. These provisions make it critical to know exactly what the state is alleging before making any decisions about how to proceed.

Trafficking investigations are often long-running and built before arrests happen. By the time charges are filed, law enforcement has typically accumulated phone records, text messages, financial records, surveillance footage, and statements from cooperating witnesses or alleged victims.

Undercover operations are common — particularly in sex trafficking cases. Officers pose as buyers or victims, communicate electronically, and arrange meetings that are recorded. Whether those operations crossed the line into entrapment, and whether the electronic evidence was obtained lawfully, are questions that need to be answered as early as possible.

If you believe you're under investigation but haven't been charged yet, that's actually the best time to get an attorney involved. Anything you say or do during an active investigation can become part of the state's case.

Human trafficking is also a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. § 1591 and related statutes. Federal charges carry their own sentencing ranges — often mandatory minimums — and are prosecuted by U.S. Attorneys rather than state prosecutors.

It's not unusual for a trafficking case to result in both state and federal charges. Federal cases have different procedural rules, different evidentiary standards, and different sentencing guidelines. If federal charges are involved or likely, the defense approach has to account for both tracks.

Do not speak to law enforcement — not to deny the allegations, not to explain your side, not to cooperate informally while you "figure things out." These cases are built on statements. The less you say without an attorney present, the better.

Do not contact any alleged victims or witnesses. Do not delete messages, accounts, or records — that can become obstruction. Preserve everything and let your attorney decide what matters.

Human trafficking cases require someone who will actually read the investigation file, challenge the evidence that can be challenged, and build a defense based on the specific facts — not a generic response to a serious charge. Call 702-990-0190 for a confidential consultation.

Once your case resolves, you may be eligible to seal the record — removing it from background checks. If you were convicted and believe legal errors occurred at trial, an appeal may be an option.