JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A man who was arrested on human trafficking charges and then found the victim and assaulted her when he was released on bond was sentenced Monday to 12 years in the Department of Corrections, related to two separate cases.
Roman Bear Rivera received a 12-year sentence for his initial arrest on human trafficking charges. He received a second 12-year sentence in a separate case for retaliation against the victim. The two sentences will be served concurrently.
Rivera was arrested and charged as a result of a nationwide sex trafficking enforcement campaign known as Operation Cross Country in October.
Investigators from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakewood Police Department and other partnering agencies initiated their investigation into Rivera based on an ad for sex in exchange for money.
According to an affidavit for Rivera's arrest, as part of that effort, an undercover officer responded to an ad on a website called "MegaPersonals" and arranged to meet a woman who had advertised sexual services.
Once at a hotel with the woman, the undercover officer initiated a bust. When the woman failed to return home, the officer began getting calls and texts from an unknown number, which was later determined to belong to Rivera.
The messages indicated that Rivera knew the undercover officer was the last client of the woman and threatened to expose him if he didn't pay up.
Following his arrest last October, Rivera was initially held on a $50,000 cash-only bond. In February, his bond was lowered, and he was able to post it and subsequently released.
Just two days later, Rivera located the victim at a motel and assaulted her, punching her in the face multiple times, prosecutors said. Rivera was later arrested and charged in that case. His bond was set at $75,000 cash only.
At sentencing, a sheriff’s office investigator told the Court, “[The victim] was repeatedly coerced into believing she was worthless and powerless, leaving her with shattered self-esteem and a sense of identity that will be difficult to rebuild. This emotional manipulation can lead to severe depression, anxiety, and a profound sense of hopelessness.”
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