EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – In Juarez, Mexico, police have apprehended a 41-year-old man on charges of human trafficking after he allegedly compelled his 9-year-old son to solicit money from individuals passing by.

The authorities were informed about a child approaching people at Plaza Pinocelli seeking spare change. Upon arriving at the location, Chihuahua state police reportedly observed Juan Antonio G.M. coercing the boy to beg, as stated by the state attorney general on Sunday.

The father was handed over to the State Investigative Agency, and the child was taken to the local child protection agency known as DIF. Following a physical and psychological assessment, the child was placed in the temporary care of DIF.

The shopping center is on an avenue near Juarez International Airport; a large working-class neighborhood called Heroes de la Revolucion sits on the other side of the avenue.

Human trafficking cases have surged in northern Mexico in recent years due to the use of the statute to prosecute cases ranging from exploiting migrants to possession of child sex abuse material.

In February, a judge sentenced to three years in prison a man only identified as Rogelio S.H. for human trafficking-child pornography for storing sexual images of underage persons and sharing them through social media. Last year, a woman was arrested on human trafficking-corruption of minors charges for allegedly paying a 15-year-old boy to cross migrants over the border wall near Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

Also last year, the operator of a migrant shelter was convicted of human trafficking-forced labor for allegedly ordering foreign guests to do construction work at the shelter and other properties.

ProVideo in Juarez, Mexico, contributed to this report.