Indian man Kavan Kumar Patel was sentenced to 10 years in prison for paying traffickers to abuse underage girls at Nebraska hotel

An illegal immigrant from India has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in the United States for paying traffickers to abuse underage girls at a Nebraska hotel.Kavankumar Patel, a 27-year-old citizen of the Indian state of Gujarat who is living illegally in the United States, was sentenced this week in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska. Patel was found guilty of two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and was sentenced to ten years in prison.Upon his release, he will be sentenced to five years of supervised release and faces deportation to India due to his illegal immigration status.Omaha police busted the sex trafficking ring on Jan. 6, 2025, after responding to a routine theft complaint. While investigating the case, police noticed clear signs of possible human trafficking at the location.The Homeland Security Task Force and local police launched a rescue mission and rescued two minor girls, ages 15 and 16, from the AmericInn hotel in Omaha. Victims were transported across state lines and moved multiple times between Denver and Omaha for commercial sex. After being rescued, the two teenagers were taken to Project Harmony to be interviewed by experts.In interviews, two victims revealed that traffickers forced them to comply with ultimatums. The girls were told they had to have sex with hotel staff to receive discounted rates or be thrown out on the street. Hotel staff actively condoned this abuse. Two employees paid traffickers to abuse one of the girls, while a third employee had sex with another minor. Patel, who worked at the AmericInn, admitted he stole money directly from the hotel’s cash register to pay a trafficker for sex with an underage victim.In exchange for these sexual favors, hotel staff allowed the trafficker and two minors to stay at the hotel for several days. During this time, traffickers posted commercial sex ads online and coordinated appointments for clients. Victims later reported that they were given little food and trapped. They believe they have no choice but to follow the orders of their traffickers.After the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Leslie Woods praised the multi-agency rescue operation.“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will never tire of working tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable victims in our communities,” Woods said.