Reno man arrested in child sex-trafficking investigation

An FBI-led task force arrested a Reno man Tuesday as part of an investigation into a child sex-trafficking group, the bureau announced.

Kevin Belcher of Reno faces charges of sex trafficking of a minor, child abuse, coercion with force or threat of force and open or gross lewdness, an FBI release said Thursday. The Northern Nevada Child Exploitation Task Force is investigating the trafficking group, and Belcher was the first arrest.

“The task force has been investigating Belcher for a significant amount of time and foresees additional charges in this case,” the release said.

Washoe County jail records indicate he is 26 years old. He had been booked into the jail Saturday on an unrelated charge, then rebooked on Tuesday and Wednesday on the new charges, FBI spokeswoman Sandy Breault said.

The task force received help from the Reno Police Department and the state of Nevada, the release said.

Anybody with information on Belcher or his associates can call the FBI at 702-385-1281 or Secret Witness at 775-322-4900.

Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.