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Utah man sentenced up to life in prison for human trafficking

Posted at 4:49 PM, Dec 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-19 18:49:53-05

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A 53-year-old man has been sentenced to the maximum possible sentencing on each of eight counts of human trafficking-related charges.  James Savage Brown was convicted of the human trafficking of two women and sentenced to the following by Judge Parker with Third District Court:

  • Four terms of five years  up to life in prison
  • One term of fifteen years up to life in prison
  • Two terms of one year to fifteen years in prison
  • One term of zero to five years in prison

Brown was convicted back in Aug. 2019 on charges of Aggravated Human Trafficking, Aggravated Kidnapping, Rape, Forcible Sodomy, Aggravated Exploitation of Prostitution and Tampering with a witness.

Brown was arrested in Nov. 2018 for the human trafficking of two women, according to the Utah Attorney General’s Office. Utah Attorney General SECURE Strike Force first learned of Brown’s activity in June 2018 after one of Brown’s victims, S.S., after she was released from the Salt Lake County Detention Center.

While in the detention center, S.S. met another woman, J.M. who suffered through a similar situation with Brown.  Both women told investigators stories of sexual assault,  manipulation, physical abuse and forced prostitution.

One of them explained Brown would exploit a drug dependency, threaten and use intimidation to force her into commercial sex.

After being arrested, Brown was reported talking to associate over the telephone to tamper with a victim that he believed to be working with law enforcement, according to the Attorney General’s Office.