Man arrested in Rochester for sex trafficking women across Midwest

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Rochester Police have arrested a man accused of sex trafficking women across the Midwest, according to a criminal complaint.

Mario Thompson, 32, faces charges of receiving profit from prostitution and sex trafficking. He faces up to 30 years in prison.

On July 21, Rochester police located a sex advertisement online and planned an undercover operation at a Rochester hotel. An undercover detective arranged to meet with a woman to exchange sexual acts for $600.

The woman was arrested and then told law enforcement that Thompson controlled her and frequently traveled to Minnesota to collect money from her.

Police then arrested Thompson on Wednesday at a Rochester hotel.

The criminal complaint alleges Thompson controlled multiple women across the Midwest, including in Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis and Columbus.

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