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Trafficking advocates concerned after Milwaukee prostitution crime ring
Advocates for victims of human trafficking say they are alarmed after several men were charged in connection to a prostitution ring, including a lawyer, firefighter and a former judge.
MILWAUKEE - Several men are charged in connection to a prostitution ring, including a lawyer, a firefighter and a former judge.
Advocates for victims of human trafficking say it's part of an alarming trend.
It's a crime that advocacy centers say is under-reported, and when people in positions of power are involved, the cases can get complicated and isolating for victims.
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"It is not common for people who have influence to use it this way."
"It is not common for people who have influence to use it this way," Sojourner Family Peace Center President and CEO Carmen Pitre said. "Any time you have influence – already the dynamic keeps you isolated and alone and that’s part of the victimization and the coercion that happens."
Six men were charged in connection to a prostitution ring in Milwaukee, including a former criminal defense lawyer, a Milwaukee firefighter, a retired municipal judge,and a funeral director.
Milwaukee prostitution crime ring; 5 more men accused
Five additional men are charged in connection with a prostitution ring. This comes after a former Milwaukee public defender was charged for representing someone he was paying for sex.
The charges have been filed against the following:
- 54-year-old Travis Schwantes, a former public defender who once ran for a judgeship
- 50-year-old David Ornstein, a Milwaukee firefighter
- 76-year-old George Easton, a retired municipal judge
- 53-year-old Leroy Stewart, a funeral director in Oak Creek
- 55-year-old Christopher Reigg
- 59-year-old William Green
Investigators say the prostitution happened in an apartment building near 29th and Kilbourn.
Prosecutors say a sex worker reported the prostitution. She was convicted for keeping a place of prostitution. Her attorney said she was a victim of sex trafficking.
"I think that there are ways that women are drawn into these activities in a way that victimizes them," Pitre said.
According to Milwaukee Police Department crime statistics, human trafficking doubled from 2022.
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It's a trend the Benedict Center in Milwaukee sees too. The center helps women impacted by the criminal justice system.
The executive director said 94% of women in their "sisters program" reported experiencing sexual assault and sex trafficking, compared to the 62% last quarter.
It’s something that advocacy centers in the city hope to raise awareness for.
"I think the most troubling thing about trafficking is it is happening right in front of us," Pitre said. "And it’s so invisible."
Each of the accused is due in court in December.