What started as a weird parking lot mystery near a busy Northfield shopping center has turned into a serious criminal case. Denver police say a man has been arrested and charged after students reported suspicious notes left on their cars outside a Target in the Central Park area. Detectives arrested a suspect on March 30 and charged him with two counts of soliciting for child prostitution and one count of attempted sexual assault, according to Denver police.
According to a release from the Denver Police Department, students from Northfield High School reported that notes had been placed on vehicles parked at the Target in the Northfield area. The notes reportedly told recipients to contact an individual through an encrypted email address, which set off alarms for both parents and police. The information was forwarded to the department’s Human Trafficking Unit, and detectives arrested on March 30, the release states. Police have not released the suspect’s name.
Charges and legal context
Soliciting for child prostitution is a class 3 felony under Colorado law, under C.R.S. 18-7-402, which criminalizes soliciting, arranging or directing another person for prostitution by or of a child, according to the text of the statute as summarized by Colorado Public Law. Sentencing for class 3 felonies is governed by the state's felony classifications and typically falls in a presumptive range often cited as roughly four to twelve years in prison, according to the statutory framework outlined on Justia. The specific sentence in any case would depend on the judge and the circumstances alleged.
How detectives are asking for help
Denver police say they are still piecing together what happened and whether there are additional victims. Anyone with information about the notes or other possible victims is asked to call the Human Trafficking Unit tipline at 720-913-6060 and, after selecting a language preference, choose option 2, according to the department’s release via the Denver Police Department. Investigators in the Human Trafficking Unit are looking for tips that could identify more victims or witnesses who may have seen suspicious activity in the area.
Victims and family members who need support can contact the Denver Police Victim Assistance Unit at 720-913-6035, according to the city's victim services page. The case remains an active investigation.
Where this happened
Police say the notes were reported in the parking lot of the Target at The Shops at Northfield, a major retail center in the Central Park and Northfield neighborhood, according to the department release and local listings. Northfield High School, whose students first reported the suspicious notes, serves the Central Park area of Denver and is part of Denver Public Schools. For many families, it is their neighborhood school and now the unwelcome backdrop to a case that has rattled the community.
