The Portland Police Bureau and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office criminally charged ten men during a joint human trafficking mission in east Multnomah County on September 12th, 2023. The men, ranging from ages 25 to 51, agreed to purchase sex from undercover law enforcement officers posing as trafficked women. One man even agreed to purchase sex from an officer posing as a 15-year-old. Arresting buyers is one way to help reduce the demand to purchase sex in our community and victimization.
Law enforcement officers seized cash, cell phones and one firearm, among other items.
The man who agreed to purchase sex with a minor, Heriberto Marin-Marin, 33, of Vancouver, Washington, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Purchasing Sex with a Minor and Commercial Sexual Solicitation.
All of the other men were issued a criminal citation for Commercial Sexual Solicitation. They each are required to report to court at a later date.
• Travis L. Knoy, 25, Milwaukie, OR
• Kyle L. Hanson, 50, Portland, OR
• Matthew G. Barber, 50, Maple Valley, WA
• Aleksandr S. Beglets, 35, Portland, OR
• Stephen J. Hanlon, 51, Portland, OR
• Nathan P. Strickland, 36, Portland, OR
• Dmytro Peter Narolskyi, 31, Vancouver, WA
• Cheldon A. Chriestenson, 33, Gresham, OR
• Dion M. Webster, 27, Portland, OR
In recent months, Portland’s Human Trafficking Unit has received a number of complaints from community members and the business community, and an increase in referrals from officers, regarding this illegal activity across the county. Also present at Tuesday’s mission were task force officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as members from the MCSO Detectives Unit and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.
The Portland Police Bureau Human Trafficking Unit (HTU), which is part of PPB’s Detective Division, investigates crimes involving sex trafficking and labor trafficking. The Unit simultaneously conducts rescue missions for victims of trafficking and disrupts the demand side of trafficking by conducting buyer suppression and directed patrol missions. Due to the complexity of these cases, such as repeated trauma exposures, trauma bonds with traffickers, and fear of retaliation, the victims in these cases are often reluctant to come forward, make a report and continue through the criminal justice process. HTU continues to offer trauma-informed, victim-centered services.
HTU also has a strong emphasis on community education. It continuously works with community partners to educate the community on how to recognize the warning signs of human trafficking and the best ways to report it.
Additional missions are planned, focused on traffickers, sex buyers, and aggressive tactics employed by some providers that have caused a high level of community concern. Some of these tactics include approaching occupied vehicles in the roadway. While PPB does not generally focus enforcement on providers, aggressive tactics may result in criminal charges. Generally, providers will be given warnings on a first offense.
