This is dark on top of dark.
A gay prostitution ring in rural Connecticut that exploited young men with disabilities blew up earlier this week after police busted two of its highest paying customers.
William Trefzger and Bruce J. Bemer were both clients of the decades-long operation. They have both been arrested and charged with with patronizing a trafficked person and are being held on $250,000 and $500,000 bails respectively.
Police first started their investigation into the operation over a year ago, but Bemer told investigators this week that he’s been paying for sex with the disabled men for more than 20 years.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
At first, Trefzger denied any involvement in the operation, but later admitted to not only participating, but knowing that the men had mental health problems.
The ringleader was a man named Robert King, who was apparently busted a few months ago. King ran the operation out of his trailer. He would prey on men in their early 20s who suffered severe mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and paranoia. Many of them lived in group homes and care facilities.
King would befriend the men by giving them money and drugs, including cocaine and heroin, and promising them rides in his fictitious helicopter, then he would coerce them into becoming prostitutes.
He would personally deliver the victims to Bemer, Trefzger and at least four other clients in the area for a fee of $250 per visit, from which King took a $50 cut.
Neighbors of King say he had a “nasty temper” and could often be seen hanging around the trailer park with large groups of teenage boys who appeared to be high on drugs.
“One of the kids was running around like he was pretending to be a bird,” one neighbor told local media. “Needless to say, we’re happy (King’s) gone.”
“There was a lot of young people coming and going,” another neighbor said. “Bob was really bizarre. We’re happy to be rid of him.”
After he was arrested, King told detectives that he wasn’t running a human trafficking ring, but that he merely “brought the boys to the clients.”
“I’m just a gay guy trying to help people,” he said.
Related: Brave Man Speaks About The Horrors Of Being A Gay Sex Slave
h/t: KETV
ChrisK
I love how the Connecticut police need to trump everything up. Human trafficking implies forcing someone to do something. Yeah, he gave them drugs and told them they could fly in a helicopter. Big woop. These men were still free to leave at any time.
Why do we care about this and not about the people with mental health issues on the street that I see all the time. Total BS.
Juanjo
Really? Did we read the same story? He targets young men with mental disabilities, using drugs and other tactics to gain control over them. Then he pimps them out. But according to you none of that matters because the “men were still free to leave at any time”. Wow. That makes it all morally, ethically, and legally okay?
Then you mention people with mental health issues who are on the street making a classic false equivalency with a little tu quoque toss in to season the argument. That’s what you are going with? Somehow the fact this scumbag was nailed for pimping out mentally disturbed men means “big woop”.
Heywood Jablowme
Why are you so sure they were “still free to leave at any time”? They probably knew little if anything about what was going on, even before they were forced to become drug addicts. (I hope you’re not going to say a severe schizophrenic had a choice with that too?) And doesn’t it bother you that they didn’t even get any of the money? 🙁
ChrisK you’re usually very sensible. You’re sure in a cranky mood today!
ChrisK
When I first heard of this it was a sex trafficking of disabled juveniles story. Now I find that their in their twenties. They might be schizophrenics but that doesn’t mean they can be controlled. I’d say it’s even harder since paranoid people are hard to control. Then there’s the drugs. Yeah, he gave them drugs to probably keep them. How many situations are there like that though?
Cops do what they always do. Take a mundane situation and blow it up for the headlines.
natekerchel
Normally I agree with Chrisk on most things – but this is different I am afraid. There are different types of schizoid behaviour where it is very easy to control the person affected, even without using drugs. Paranoia can also be used by a skilled person for the purpose of control. Apart from any mental health issues involved there will more than likely be emotional issues that can be exploited, and the claim that this man kept most of the money shows how vulnerable the men were. We know that exploitation of the mentally ill has gone on for decades. One study revealed that up to 60% of mentally ill people had been sexually assaulted whilst in care. So the story is very believable and fits in with other evidence from reliable sources.
o.codone
So, why is this a story? Because some guy paid for sex? Are you kidding me? Personally I’ve never had a trick who wasn’t mentally ill. Oh, and drug use. Who can tell when you’re so high yourself? This is a BS story, and we know that Queerty isn’t above contrived BS, in fact, this is kinda what Queerty does everyday.
DCguy
And what do you mean by “A Trick”, somebody you’ve slept with after meeting them at a bar or party? If you’ve NEVER slept with somebody who wasn’t mentally ill, that probably says more about you than anything else.
Well, that and your constant defenses of Trump and anti-lgbt Republicans on here.
Sluggo2007
There are trailer parks in Connecticut? Who knew?
Ruhlmann
Trailer Courts gawdammit, Trailer COURTS!
MediaGuy
Their called “Caravan Estates” in CT. hahahhaa. I actually live a few minutes from where this guy is supposed to have a trailer, (in Danbury) and I can’t imagine where this thing would be. It’s supposed to be right near the (private, exclusive) Wooster School and several other righteous landmarks, so if there is a trailer there it must be in somebody’s yard or driveway.