A Denver judge has issued a sentence that is believed to be the longest ever given for a human trafficking conviction in the United States. The sentence, which was handed down on Thursday, is 448 years.
A 44-year-old man from Denver, Robert Hawkins, has been sentenced to a record-breaking 448 years in prison. This comes after he was found guilty of several charges, including human trafficking, pimping, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation, as stated in court records.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, this sentence holds the record for being the longest ever recorded in Colorado, and even in the entire United States.
According to Denver Chief Deputy District Attorney Lara Mullin, Colorado’s previous sentencing record was 401 years after a sentence adjustment in Arapahoe County. Mullin made this statement during a press conference held on Thursday.
Hawkins has been sentenced to a staggering 448 years, with an additional 200 years for other charges that will be served at the same time, according to Mullin.
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A news release from the Denver District Attorney’s Office reveals that Hawkins subjected four adult women and two children in Denver to exploitation between 2018 and 2021. He employed physical violence and threats to maintain control over the victims and made profits from the sale of their bodies. Hawkins also shot a person who had engaged in illegal activities after he dropped off one of the individuals involved.
In March, Hawkins was found guilty by a jury on 18 charges, which included human trafficking, pimping, sexually assaulting a child, and first-degree assault. The Denver District Attorney’s Office released a statement regarding the verdict.
According to a search warrant affidavit, a victim provided a disturbing account of Hawkins’ control over the girls. The victim referred to him as “her master” and detailed how they were compelled to cook for him and engage in commercial sex acts to earn money.
An investigation into Hawkins was initiated in December 2019 after a victim came forward. Court documents indicate that an arrest warrant was issued on Oct. 6, 2021. Hawkins was taken into custody on November 9, 2021 in California.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement uncovered a prior FBI case involving Hawkins in 2012. In that case, he faced charges related to child sex trafficking and was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor through Arapahoe County Courts, as stated in a probable cause statement. The affidavit stated that the girls were expected to earn at least $500 per day.
They were also expected to meet a $5,000 quota in order to earn Hawkins’ trust. The purpose of this quota was to fund the acquisition of a counterfeit identification and birth certificate, enabling the girls to travel to California and engage in sex work as per The Denver Post.
According to the affidavit, a victim recounted her attempt to flee the apartment by taking Hawkins’ car, only to be apprehended and subjected to physical assault as a form of punishment.
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