The Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Taskforce, along with deputies from Century Sheriff’s Station, conducted a human trafficking operation in the cities of Lynwood and Compton on Tuesday, August 21, 2018. During the operation, Sheriff’s personnel arrested 33 adults.
Seven adult females were arrested for the charge of Loitering for the Purposes of Prostitution and ten adult females were arrested for Solicitation of Prostitution after they solicited sex for money from undercover Sheriff’s Detectives. Each of them were offered victim-centered services from the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (C.A.S.T.) as well as Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion. Six of the females were identified as victims of human trafficking and accepted ongoing services from CAST. Four accepted ongoing services from LEAD. The remaining females were booked at the Century Regional Detention Facility.
Sixteen of those arrested were male adults who solicited undercover Sheriff’s deputies for various sex acts. Those males were transported and booked at the Century Regional Detention Facility. One of the males arrested for solicitation, Jobanny Rodriguez, MH/35 of Los Angeles, was additionally charged with felony possession of counterfeit United States currency after he tried to pay for a sex act with counterfeit currency. He remains in custody and will be arraigned at Compton Court on August 23, 2018.
The operation included task force partners from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), the District Attorney’s Office (LADA), the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Los Angeles Unified School Police (LAUSD), State Parole, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) the Los Angeles County Probation Department, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), Saving Innocence, and the Department of Children and Family Services.
For additional information contact:
Lt. Barry Hall 323-526-5134
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Human Trafficking Bureau at (323) 526-5156. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Human Trafficking Bureau houses the LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, the nation’s largest co-located human trafficking task force. The Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, county and local law enforcement, social service agency and non-government and community-based organizations investigating and serving the needs of commercially exploited adults and minors victimized for the purpose of sex and labor.
The LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force brings together systems and disciplines to address the victim’s needs through a victim centered, trauma informed approach. The task force employs a regionalized strategy that crosses jurisdictional boundaries to identify and rescue victims while aggressively pursuing traffickers and buyers.
LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force Partners:
Federal
United States Attorney’s Office
Homeland Security Investigations (ICE)
Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Marshals Service
United States Department of Labor
State
California Attorney General
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (State Parole)
California Employment Development Department
California Highway Patrol
County
LA County Sheriff’s Department
LA County District Attorney’s Office (DA & DA Investigator)
Department of Children and Family Services
LA County Probation Department
LA County Department of Public Health
City
Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office
Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Unified School District Police Department
Pomona Police Department
Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office
Non-Government/Community Based Organizations
Alafia Mental Health
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking
Human Trafficking Legal Network
iEmpathize
Journey Out
Northridge Hospital Center for Assault Services
San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center
Saving Innocence
The Guardian Group (Hotel/Motel Outreach, Education and Signage)
Los Angeles County Sheriff Clergy Council
Pet Prescriptions Therapy Dog Program
Demand Abolition Cease Network
Restoration Diversion Services
Virtuous Women Inc.
Zoe International
Authored by:
Lt. Barry Hall
Forwarded by:
Deputy Marvin Crowder
Sheriff’s Information Bureau – Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Hall of Justice - First floor
211 W. Temple St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-229-1700
