Man indicted on child sex trafficking charges after arrest at 'The Blade': MCAO
PHOENIX - Officials with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office say a man has been indicted on child sex trafficking and other alleged offenses, following his arrest in a part of Phoenix that is known for prostitution.
Big picture view:
In a statement released on Dec. 9, officials with MCAO said Dennis Mitchell, Jr. was indicted on the following charges:
- Child Sex Trafficking
- Aggravated Assault
- Pandering
- Receiving Earnings of Prostitute
The backstory:
Investigators said Mitchell Jr. was arrested at a Phoenix motel along a stretch of 27th Avenue, between Indian School Road and Northern Avenue. The area is known as "The Blade."
"A 14-year-old told police that she had been staying with him in a room they used for prostitution," read a portion of MCAO's statement. "She left to get help after Mitchell struck her during an argument."
Besides the 14-year-old, officials with MCAO said an adult female who had been staying with Mitchell Jr. was also rescued.
Dig deeper:
On Nov. 7, we reported that dozens of people were arrested along "The Blade" for alleged prostitution. The arrests were made as part of "Operation New Beginning," which involved various law enforcement agencies in the Phoenix area, including police with Grand Canyon University.
"27th Avenue has become an epicenter for prostitution activity in Phoenix – an area known nationally as ‘The Track’ or ‘The Blade’ for the proclivity of sex trafficking in the area," read a portion of GCU's statement.
She said the months-long operation comes after years of complaints from neighbors and business owners, which include students on the nearby GCU campus.
"With that comes drugs, with that comes violence. And so you have people whose neighborhood is being destroyed, and they have been very vocal about it," Mitchell noted.
Alfredo Gonzalez, who lives nearby and sees that kind of activity daily.
"Drugs, prostitution, robberies. I can see prostitution on that street. And that street. See the prostitutes with their butts hanging out," said Alfredo Gonzalez, who lives in the area.
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Prostitution crackdown targets Phoenix's 'The Blade'
A major, multi-agency crackdown called "Operation New Beginnings" has resulted in dozens of arrests for prostitution in Phoenix.
What's next:
Per MCAO, Mitchell Jr. is being held on a $150,000 cash bond. His trial is scheduled for April 2026.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, with supplemental information gathered from relevant FOX 10 news reports from November 2025.