Former Idaho Falls cop charged with human trafficking and prostitution
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IDAHO FALLS — A local man charged with human trafficking and prostitution was once an Idaho Falls police officer.
According to a news release from the Idaho Falls Police Department, Gordon Dennis Shaw served as an officer in the 1990s.
Xue Fang Lu, 60, and Shaw, 83, were each charged Thursday with felony human trafficking, felony interstate trafficking of prostitution and felony procurement of prostitution.
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His exact dates of employment are unavailable because the city does not keep employment records from that long ago.
“This arrest underscores IFPD’s commitment to accountability and justice no matter a person’s history, or prior affiliation,” said Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson in a news release. “We will continue to seek justice for victims, hold criminals responsible for their actions, and to maintain the integrity of the law enforcement profession.”
According to IFPD, Shaw held several temporary employment positions at IFPD periodically afterward, the last of which ended in 2008.
Background
Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal announced the charges Thursday after local law enforcement had began conducting an investigation into Lu and Shaw.
It is not yet clear how police learned of the allegations.
Neal says the victim was “enticed to come to Idaho Falls from California and then coerced into commercial sexual activity.”
The criminal complaint stated Lu and Shaw committed the crimes between April 1 and May 8 “by force, fraud or coercion.”
The criminal complaint is now part of the public record, but most details are sealed so detectives can continue their investigation.
Both Lu and Shaw appeared in court Thursday, where Judge Mark Riddoch set Lu’s bond at $300,000 and Shaw’s at $100,000.
If convicted, they could each face up to 60 years in prison.