Estimated read time: 2-3
minutes
TAYLORSVILLE — A man is facing criminal charges accusing him of helping a teenage girl and her adult boyfriend cross the border from Mexico into the U.S. and then forcing them to sell items on a street corner in Utah to pay off their debt.
Additionally, the girl’s boyfriend is accused of engaging in illegal sexual activity with the teen.
Gonzalo Campos-Flores, 23, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with human trafficking of a child, a first-degree felony, and human smuggling, a second-degree felony.
Marcos Fabian Carrera-Andrade, 25, was charged with unlawful sexual activity with a 17-year-old, a third-degree felony.
The investigation began on May 10, 2023, when Taylorsville police spotted a 17-year-old girl selling flowers on the corner of an intersection. While questioning the girl, she stated that she did not know her home address or where her mother lived and worked, and that she was living with “uncles and cousins,” according to charging documents.
As police and the girl were talking, Carrera-Andrade drove up in a truck full of flowers in the bed.
The girl eventually “stated she is working to pay Campos-Flores $15,000 to repay a debt for ‘them’ getting her from Mexico to America. (She) stated Campos-Flores picked her up in ‘the desert’ and brought her to Utah. (She) stated she is not allowed to leave the residence until the debt is paid” and that “she owes an additional $400 every month to pay for rent and food,” the charges state.
The teen told police that the only time she is allowed to leave the residence is when she goes to sell flowers.
Carrera-Andrade allegedly told police he and the girl had come to the United States about two months ago and that she was his girlfriend in Mexico.
“Carrera-Andrade stated he paid $14,250 to cross the border,” the charges state. “Carrera-Andrade stated he sells flowers and oranges for $20, and he is allowed to keep $5 to $6 from each sale. Carrera-Andrade confirmed Campos-Flores picked him up in Los Angeles or Las Vegas and brought him to Utah.”
An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for Campos-Flores. Prosecutors have requested that he be held without bail once he is in custody.