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More Sex Trafficking Prosecution

South Dakota law enforcement achieved another victory this week against human trafficking.

Tajahn Clinton, 35, of Sioux Falls pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. He faces at least 15 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson says authorities are focused on stopping human trafficking, including both those who profit from the crime and people who support the illegal, violent trade.

"We are also aggressively going after the johns, the people who want to have sex with 11-year-old girls or 14-year-old girls. We’re also prosecuting those cases, and people need to realize that we will take those cases federally," Johnson says. "And, when we take a john case federally, you’re looking at mandatory minimum sentences that can range anywhere from 10 to 15 years, so we’re not kidding around with this."

Johnson says most of the cases they’ve discovered center in Sioux Falls, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the state is immune. He says the internet is the primary means people advertise and seek out trafficking victims.

"I really believe that this is a situation where, if we shine enough light on it, if we have significant prosecutions, that, if we can’t eliminate it, we can significantly reduce the problem here in South Dakota, so that we’re not having these stories five and ten years from now," Johnson says.

Johnson says federal officials work with state and local authorities. He says the combination of dedicated law enforcement and a society that’s aware of human sex trafficking and won’t tolerate it means more people face punishment for their crimes.

Kealey Bultena grew up in South Dakota, where her grandparents took advantage of the state’s agriculture at nap time, tricking her into car rides to “go see cows.” Rarely did she stay awake long enough to see the livestock, but now she writes stories about the animals – and the legislature and education and much more. Kealey worked in television for four years while attending the University of South Dakota. She started interning with South Dakota Public Broadcasting in September 2010 and accepted a position with television in 2011. Now Kealey is the radio news producer stationed in Sioux Falls. As a multi-media journalist, Kealey prides herself on the diversity of the stories she tells and the impact her work has on people across the state. Kealey is always searching for new ideas. Let her know of a great story! Find her on Facebook and twitter (@KealeySDPB).