A two-year investigation by Denver vice police led to the arrest of a woman and man accused of running a ring of more than 50 prostitutes, some of whom were children.
Police arrested Hong Tang, 28, of Thornton, and Todd Allen Powell, 44, of Englewood.
Tang has been arrested on suspicion of prostitution-related crimes every year since 2004, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records, but her arrest Friday is the first involving minors.
Powell doesn’t have an arrest record in Colorado.
Denver police declined Sunday to reveal how young the children involved were, saying they wanted to keep that information private until the case was presented to the district attorney’s office for formal charges.
However, police did issue a statement saying they believe the operation, which they described as a “domestic sex trafficking ring” in operation since 2005, involved more than “50 female prostitutes, including children,” and made more than $1 million annually.
Police also did not release information about the location of Tang’s operation, except to say that it was in Denver and was not “a street-type of operation,” according to spokesman Sonny Jackson.
Powell is accused of handling the business end of the operation rather than working with the girls, Jackson said.
Some of the girls came from out-of-state, but not from other countries, he said.
The vice team recovered more than $30,000 in cash as well as computers and condoms and other prostitution-related items at Tang’s home. Detectives froze several accounts containing an estimated $316,000.
Detectives also will pursue asset forfeiture actions for Tang’s vehicles, a 2006 Toyota Corolla and a 2007 Honda CRV, and her residence, which are worth approximately $400,000.
Tang was arrested Friday on nine felony counts of pimping, procurement and pandering, and is being held in Denver City Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Powell was arrested Saturday on charges of pimping, conspiracy and other prostitution-related offenses, and is being held on $500,000 bail.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
