An Anchorage man was indicted by a Grand jury this week on multiple charges involving sex trafficking, sexual assault and weapons misconduct.
Xavier Lanell Cook Benson is facing 12 counts related to what law enforcement officials allege in a written release, was a brutal and exploitative sex trafficking and prostitution operation in Anchorage, Juneau, Kenai and Fairbanks.
Adam Alexander is an attorney with the state’s office of special prosecutions. He says Benson will have to meet a high bar to get out on bail.
“He would have to post a hundred thousand dollars cash on the performance bond,” Alexander said. “He would have to secure the assistance of a bail bondsman on the cash corporate appearance bond and he would have to propose a third party custodian to the court for the court’s approval.”
Alexander says investigations such as this that involve Anchorage police and the FBI are complex and often long term.
“The commercial sex trade is, in many cases, fueled by physical and emotional exploitation,” Alexander said. “And people often times, and I’m not speaking to Mr. Benson here specifically, but people often times, who operate prostitution enterprises, target vulnerable people and at the same time are becoming increasingly sophisticated.”
If convicted, Benson faces up to 60 years in prison.
Lori Townsend is the chief editor, senior vice president of journalism and senior host for Alaska Public Media. You can send her news tips and program ideas for Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or call 907-550-8452. Read more about Lori here.
