Topeka Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy In Interstate Sex Trafficking Case

TOPEKA, Kan. (KWCH) A Topeka man pleaded guilty to conspiring to operate an interstate sex trafficking business, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said Monday.

Beall said in a news release Barry M. Johnson of Topeka pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy.

In his plea, Johnson admitted to conspiring with co-defendants to run a Topeka-based prostitution business. The business operated in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, Beall said in the news release.

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Night Club Sex Trafficking Case Sparks Debate In Lawrence

A Topeka man takes a plea in a sex trafficking case with Lawrence ties. 46-year-old Sean Hall pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, despite being originally charged with sex trafficking of a minor.

"They are stolen off the street. The more vulnerable they are, the more susceptible they are," said Joan Schultz, director of the Willow Domestic Violence Center.

Schultz says homeless men and women, as well as those aging out of the foster care system, are most at risk for human trafficking.

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