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Roman Rivera may have victimized other adult women and possibly underage girls in the metro area, the sheriff’s office said.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A registered sex offender is being held without bond in Jefferson County after he was arrested on human trafficking charges, the sheriff’s office said on Thursday.
Roman Bear Rivera, 39, was arrested on Oct. 19 with assistance from Denver Police. Online court records show that Rivera has a criminal history dating back to 2002 and has been previously charged with theft and escape.
He’s now facing new charges of human trafficking and pimping. Investigators believe Rivera, a registered sex offender, has victimized those who have not come forward.
They believe those victims may include adult women and potentially underage girls in the metro area.
His arrest marks the second human trafficking case in Jefferson County in recent weeks.
Late last month, 53-year-old Yuewu Zhao was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking for involuntary servitude.
According to the sheriff’s office, in that case, someone reported that alleged sexual acts were being performed at a massage parlor in the 16000 block of South Golden Road in Golden. The reporting party also said they believed the masseuse could be a victim of human trafficking.
Jeffco’s Special Investigations Unit conducted an investigation into the parlor, which led to the discovery of evidence that sexual acts were taking place, the sheriff’s office said. Upon further investigation, a human trafficking operation was exposed and, according to the sheriff’s office, “at least one female masseuse— a Chinese citizen— was coerced into performing labor, including sex acts, in exchange for the promise of a green card.”
In July the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit worked in conjunction with the FBI on Operation Cross Country, to recover children who are being trafficked throughout the U.S.
Anyone with information about Rivera, or who believes they were victimized by him is asked to call the sheriff’s office tipline at 303-271-5612. You can remain anonymous.
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