Charges: Man forced women into prostitution, human trafficking

Charges: Man forced women into prostitution, human trafficking

(Salt Lake County Jail)


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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Attorney General's Office on Tuesday charged a man with a number of felony crimes, including human trafficking, for allegedly forcing at least two women into prostitution.

James Savage Brown, 52, who is listed in court records as homeless, is charged in 3rd District Court with two counts of aggravated human trafficking, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and forcible sodomy, all first-degree felonies. In addition, Brown is also charged with two counts of aggravated exploitation of a prostitute, a second-degree felony.

In June, investigators met with a woman who "felt she needed to come forward and share her story." The woman told investigators that while she was incarcerated at the Salt Lake County Jail, she met another woman who was assaulted and sexually abused by Brown like she was, according to charging documents.

The woman found out that Brown was using her name "to recruit others into his commercial sex organization," the charges state.

The woman alleged that for seven to eight years, Brown would "compel her to work for him in commercial sex" by threatening her with violence.

In July, the second woman said she was hired to deliver drugs to Brown in a motel room, investigators say. After making the delivery, Brown raped the woman and refused to let her leave, charging documents state.


Brown would have long conversations trying to convince victim 2 to perform sexual acts for money.

–Charging documents


The woman told investigators that Brown "kept her in the room for multiple days. Brown would have long conversations trying to convince victim 2 to perform sexual acts for money," according to charging documents. "During this time, Brown prevented victim 2 from leaving the motel and raped her multiple times."

While allegedly being held captive, the second woman said she suffered several injuries by Brown, including being stepped on, hit with his fists, hit with a "mini bat," burned with a cigarette, and stuck with an insulin needle that he broke off in her arm, the charges state.

Prosecutors have requested Brown be held without bail, noting he has a "lengthy" criminal history in both Utah and California.

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Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com team in 2021, after many years of reporting at the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio before that.

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