December 8, 2017 Posing as a filmmaker may be something a person does to meet people. It does not typically lead to criminal charges unless a person uses the filmmaker ruse to lure women and young girls into prostitution. This may seem a little far-fetched, but this is what a Seattle man was accused of doing. The 51-year-old man was convicted of 17 felonies involving the use of fraud, coercion or force to lure females into sex trafficking. The man also was charged with child pornography. The jury took just 90 minutes to convict the man after a 10-day trial that ended in early November. Seven of the man’s victims testified against him. He faces sentencing on February 2. The man proclaimed his innocence the entire time and claimed he was set up by authorities. However, evidence showed that the man used social media to target young women. He lured them to Seattle with claims of fame of fortune. He posed as a filmmaker who was creating a documentary about human trafficking for HBO. He made the women sign contracts and once they came to Seattle, he used them for prostitution. He forced them to meet his demands and threatened legal action. Washington Human Trafficking Laws Washington was the first state in the nation to make human trafficking illegal. These laws came into effect in 2003. The state has the harshest laws in the country. The law makes it a felony to recruit, obtain or transport a person for sex or other services using force, fraud or coercion. That includes domestic servitude and sweatshop work. Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the country, with as many as 17,500 people trafficked into the United States each year. Trafficking has occurred in 18 counties in Washington. Seattle is part of a huge human trafficking circuit. Get Help for Your Criminal Case Prostitution is typically a misdemeanor charge, but when a person is charged with multiple counts and lures minor children as well, the penalties get stiffer. If you are facing charges, it’s important to that you seek strong criminal defense right away. When you’re facing criminal charges, rest assured that the criminal defense lawyers at the Nahajski Firm will be on your side defend your case. We have many years of experience helping those accused of prostitution and other sex offenses, and we can help you, too. Schedule a free consultation by contacting the Nahajski Firm at (206) 621-0500.