Man sentenced to 20 years in prison for trafficking young women in Colorado
By Sadie Buggle
Click here for updates on this story
ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A man convicted of abusing and trafficking multiple young women in Colorado will spend 20 years behind bars, an Adams County district attorney announced Wednesday.
52-year-old William Tidwell was sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple felony charges, including human trafficking for sexual servitude, sexual exploitation of a child and sexual assault.
An extensive investigation into Tidwell, completed by both local and federal authorities, resulted in prosecutors uncovering evidence that he manipulated and coerced vulnerable individuals into exploitative situations using “psychological abuse, threats, and physical violence,” the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said.
Investigators found that he lured young women into sexual servitude through a guise of providing them stability and support before isolating them from their family and friends and seizing control of their finances, movements and personal lives.
According to prosecutors, Tidwell directed and profited from sex trafficking multiple people in Adams County between July 2020 and July 2023.
“This was a calculated predator who built a system of control designed to exploit and abuse young women,” District Attorney Brian Mason said in a statement. “He preyed on vulnerable individuals, using lies, intimidation, and violence to manipulate his victims into submission … Human trafficking is real – it happens here in Adams County and throughout Colorado.”
According to the DA’s office, Tidwell targeted vulnerable people, particularly young women in difficult life situations. Prosecutors said Tidwell’s victims were “forced to follow strict rules and endure physical and sexual abuse.”
Authorities also discovered thousands of illicit photos and videos on Tidwell’s electronic devices, including child sexual abuse material.
“He not only exploited women under his control but also actively sought out minors online, engaging in predatory conversations and attempting to recruit additional victims,” the DA’s office said in a release.
On March 5, Tidwell was sentenced to 20 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. In addition to his prison sentence, the DA’s office said Tidwell is required to register as a sex offender for life and will be under strict supervision upon his released.
Tidwell also pleaded guilty to a different sexual assault case in Boulder County and is expected to be sentenced in that case on March 14.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
