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- Aaron Charles Edward Kern is accused of forcing a woman into prostitution while he was incarcerated.
- Kern faces charges including drug distribution and human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
- The woman reported being threatened by Kern, who has a domestic violence history.
ST. GEORGE — A man with a history of domestic violence is accused of forcing a woman to engage in prostitution while he was incarcerated in southern Utah.
Aaron Charles Edward Kern, 27, of Sulphur, Louisiana, was charged Friday in 5th District Court with drug distribution, a first-degree felony; human trafficking for sexual exploitation, a second-degree felony; and harassment, a class B misdemeanor.
Kern, an inmate at the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane, is accused of "coercing and threatening a female ... to engage in sex work and ... send him the money," according to a police booking affidavit.
The alleged trafficking was discovered while Kern was being investigated for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs into the facility. When the woman visited Kern, he "instructed her to go on to websites commonly used for sex work and to post ads for patrons to contact her for sex work. He has demanded that she post ads. He has threatened her and is demanding that she get him money," the affidavit states.
During one visit in October, Kern allegedly gave the woman instructions on how to perform sex work and how to advertise it.
"He tells her this is where she shows where her loyalty lies and that she is ready to be whatever he needs her to be," according to the affidavit. He also told her how much money he would be taking from her.
When Kern talked to the woman in November, he "was angry about things not working out" and told the woman "he would take everything from her. He stated, 'I'll lose my life taking your family's life.' He continued in the phone call, saying that he was going to break her jaw," police wrote in their affidavit.
When investigators contacted the woman, she said was scared of Kern.
Kern was convicted of aggravated assault in July in a domestic violence incident, according to court records. He was sentenced to one year in jail but had a 1-to-15-year prison sentence suspended. That crime was committed just one month after Kern was released from a Louisiana prison on parole after serving time for another domestic violence assault.
Domestic violence resources
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
- Utah's statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
