NextSharkNextShark.com

Veterinarian Sentenced for Trafficking Women from China to Minnesota For Sex

Veterinarian Sentenced for Trafficking Women from China to Minnesota For Sex

March 9, 2017
SHARE
Brian Kersten, a veterinarian from Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin, was sentenced on Wednesday to more than four years for trafficking East Asian women to Minnesota.
The 61-year-old pleaded guilty to two felony counts of engaging in the sex trafficking of a person and aiding and abetting labor trafficking after prosecutors charged him in September.
Kersten was sentenced to 48 and 53 months in prison for each charge, respectively, according to the Pioneer Press.
The case is also the first labor trafficking conviction and sentence in the state of Minnesota.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

The Baldwin Veterinary Clinic owner admitted to transporting women from China to the Extended Stay hotel in Woodbury, MN, in the summer of 2016.
The case was prosecuted by Imran Ali, the Washington County assistant attorney, who said in a statement: “Kersten was part of an international conspiracy to bring foreign nationals into Minnesota for the purpose of prostituting them. We have to remember that these are NOT victimless crimes. All these women being trafficked are indeed victims.
An investigation into Kersten found that he had been working with a Chinese national named Shixin Zhang in New York, where authorities said the vet would give a portion of his profits for women he transported and advertised on Backpage.com.
One of Kersten’s family members told police that he had been bringing Chinese girls to work in massage parlors.
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput’s office has come up with a special unit to prosecute a wide-range of cases from adults who search online for underage girls and boys to traffickers who hire adults and minors for sexual services.
This case merely shows the depth and breadth of the sex trafficking occurring in this state,” Orput said in the statement. “We, as a concerned public, need to acknowledge this and persevere in doing all we can to bring labor and sex traffickers to the justice they deserve.
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Khier Casino

      Khier Casino is a contributor at NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.