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John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced Thursday that a grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging Hiran Sanchez of Hartford, also known as “Ivan” and “Pablo,” with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor and two counts of sex trafficking of a minor.
The indictment was returned on Nov. 15, 2017, and Sanchez was arrested on Jan. 22, 2018. Sanchez entered a plea of not guilty to the charges and is detained pending trial.
As alleged in the indictment, Sanchez recruited, harbored and transported two minor victims to engage in commercial acts. Sanchez trafficked the first victim in July 2016 and the second victim in April and May 2017, according to his indictment.
The charge of sex trafficking of a minor carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Connecticut State Police and Hartford Police Department, through the Connecticut Human Trafficking Task Force, and with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarala V. Nagala and Nancy V. Gifford.
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