BOZEMAN — Included among the 18 men arrested in a weekend prostitution sting were a Belgrade school trustee and a now former Bozeman High School assistant football coach.
Brian Heck, a Belgrade School trustee, resigned on Monday. Mark Naharniak, the assistant football coach, has been suspended, Bozeman Schools Superintendent Casey Bertram announced Monday.
The Gallatin County Justice Courtoom was crowded Monday morning as many of the accused faced the judge for the first time.
After a three-day sting operation that Bozeman Police set out on to see just how big the issue of human trafficking is in Bozeman, it left even Bozeman Police Det. Capt. Dana McNeil surprised.
“It's part of why we do these operations to help identify just how big a problem it may be,” says McNeil.
According to McNeil, the Montana state Legislature increased the penalty for prostitution, making the first offense a felony in the state. McNeil says that was a motivator for the department to take a closer look at human trafficking.
“It’s to help us to identify people who are on all sides of this issue with human trafficking, exploitation, whether that be the people providing those services, the people that are exploiting others, or the people who are patronizing those services,” says McNeil.
McNeil says detectives worked with those on the front lines to find out what social media sites are used to meet people; they even try to track down lingo that is used to fly under the radar. McNeil says detectives acted as those who were offering the services online, asking the 18 men to meet them at the hotel.
“So these investigations can be very complicated. They obviously use social media and technology to facilitate them,” says McNeil.
The men face anywhere from 0-5 years behind bars if convicted. Their bail amounts range from $10,000 to $100,000.
