A Denver jury convicted Naheem Brice in July on six felony counts, including attempted human trafficking of a minor, attempted pimping of a minor, sexual assault on a child, first-degree assault, child abuse causing serious bodily injury, and distribution of a controlled substance to a minor. The convictions followed a trial in which jurors reviewed evidence concerning the abuse of a 14-year-old girl.
According to FBI Denver
, the case was built through a joint effort between the FBI Denver Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force, the Denver Police Department, and the victim advocacy nonprofit From Silenced to Saved, with the bureau describing Brice's prosecution and the survivor's support as a team effort. The FBI noted that Brice is going to prison for a very long time.
Statements released by the Denver District Attorney's Office reveal that Brice began a sexual relationship with the victim in December 2023 when she was 14, then attempted to force her into commercial sex work a month later. When she refused, he violently assaulted her, prosecutors said. The girl endured the abuse from ages 14 to 15.
A Survivor-Support Group With Rare Access
Throughout the prosecution, the teenage victim received advocacy from From Silenced to Saved, a nonprofit that City Lifestyle reports is the only nongovernmental organization working with task-force members and victim specialists to respond on-scene during national operations in metro Denver. Led by Jenelle Goodrich, the faith-based group provides transportation, lodging, food, and clothing to recovered victims, per the outlet's account.
The organization's standing with federal law enforcement is not new. In May, FBI Director Christopher Wray hosted the 2022 award winners at FBI Headquarters, including Goodrich, according to the FBI. The bureau notes the annual national award recognizes individuals and organizations making exceptional contributions to community crime prevention.
From Silenced to Saved's victim rescue operations and community protection efforts are set to expand with $600,000 in funding across Colorado, according to a video posted on Evans's Facebook page. During the announcement, Evans noted that Colorado ranks 10th nationwide in human trafficking prevalence.
The Task Force Behind the Case
The FBI Denver Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, established in 2012, is a permanent multidisciplinary unit combining federal agents with local police detectives and prosecutors. As Hoodline previously reported, the task force receives dozens of monthly tips and has recovered hundreds of minors since its inception, working closely with local alliances like the Denver Anti-Trafficking Alliance to provide trauma-informed responses.
Colorado's legal framework for cases like Brice's is severe, with enhanced penalties for human trafficking of minors, according to FindLaw.
Part of a Broader Statewide Pattern
Brice's conviction lands amid broader statewide attention to human trafficking. Anti-trafficking organizations caution that hotline calls capture only a fraction of actual incidents due to victim isolation and underreporting.
The case also follows a string of recent Denver-area trafficking prosecutions. Just weeks earlier, Denver prosecutors secured a 25-year prison sentence for Dajon Blackman, who pleaded guilty to human trafficking for sexual servitude and pimping after bringing a victim from California to Denver. Hoodline's prior coverage notes that Denver prosecutors have increasingly prioritized multi-agency efforts to target perpetrators of commercial sex exploitation.
