PHOENIX— Christopher Brown (D.O.B. 08-24-1976) was sentenced today to 14 years in the Department of Corrections for Sex Trafficking, Receiving Earnings of a Prostitute, Pandering, and Assault. Brown was arrested as a part of a January 2018 operation by the Human Trafficking Task Force.

“Today sentencing shows this Office’s commitment to holding sex traffickers fully responsible for their criminal actions and should serve as an example of the type of sentencing we will pursue for anyone who desires to gain personal profit through preying on vulnerable victims,” said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “

On January 17, 2018 undercover officers saw Brown get into an argument with a woman in a parking lot where he stuck her before directing her to a nearby street corner. The officers who were working as part of a human trafficking taskforce contacted the woman and took her into custody for prostitution, safely removing her from Brown. Detectives, at the same time were able to arrest the defendant.

Initially the victim in this case told investigators that she was being forced by Brown to work as a prostitute and give him the money she made. The defendant claimed that he was not forcing her to be a prostitute and instead was in a romantic relationship with the victim.

Despite the victim in the case changing her mind and denying Brown was anything other than her boyfriend, prosecutors were able to prove to a jury that he was responsible for the victim working as a prostitute and that he was benefiting from the arrangement.