ST. GEORGE, Utah, March 17, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — A man accused of forcing a victim to engage in commercial sex acts and forcing the victim to provide him with the proceeds while he was behind bars for an unrelated state offense appeared in court for federal sex trafficking charges.
Aaron Kern, 27, most recently of St. George, was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 11, 2025. During his initial appearance on the indictment, he was ordered detained by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Kohler in St. George.
According to court documents, from November 2023 to December 2024, Kern allegedly recruited and violently threatened a victim to engage in commercial sex acts and provide him with a large portion of the proceeds.
Kern’s illegal acts to traffic an individual for sex acts were allegedly committed while Kern was incarcerated for an unrelated state offense. Kern also forced the victim to attempt to smuggle suboxone, a controlled substance, into the correctional facility where he was housed.
“When the victim demonstrated any resistance to Kern’s attempts to have her engage in commercial sex acts, he would threaten her,” says a news release issued by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah.
On one occasion, he allegedly told the victim, “obviously the only thing that is going to work is me breaking your face when you don’t want to listen,” and “you are going to have a lot of days where you are drinking through a straw,” the release says.
Kern also made threats to the victim regarding her family members’ safety.
“During the investigation, law enforcement found online prostitution advertisements that Kern dictated and ordered the victim to place. Investigators also found in Kern’s jail cell a handwritten contract that he wanted the victim to sign as well as handwritten notes and journal entries describing how he needed to break the victim down.”
Acting United States Attorney Felice Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the Washington County Drug/Gang Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
