Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety
For Immediate Release: February 1, 2024
Issued by: J. P. Pritchard- Community Engagement Liaison
707-584-2691, [email protected]
The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety would like to congratulate Public Safety Officer Chris Snyder for the exceptional investigation work that led to the prosecution of Pedro Lopez-Plascencia. His dedication to bringing justice regarding this case is exemplary, and his commitment to public safety, as a whole, is immeasurable. Please join Rohnert Park DPS in recognizing his efforts. To read the full article, please see the information below.
Sonoma County District Attorney Office- 28 Year-Old Man Sentenced to Prison For Sex Trafficking a Minor, Drug and Firearm Charges-
Defendant Pedro Lopez-Plascencia, 28 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Laura Passaglia for felony charges of human trafficking of a minor, encouraging a minor to engage in prostitution, possession of controlled substances for sales, possession of a firearm, and a misdemeanor charge of possession of child sexual abuse material. Mr. Lopez-Plascencia was sentenced to 12 years in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
District Attorney Carla Rodriguez stated, “Mr. Lopez-Plascencia coerced and manipulated the young victim into committing certain acts for his own financial gain. This is the essence of human trafficking, and unfortunately it happens here in Sonoma County. I applaud the efforts of the Rohnert Park Police Department investigator who held the defendant accountable and helped free the victim from being trafficked."
In November of 2021, Mr. Lopez-Plascencia communicated with a 14 year-old girl online. He picked her up, took her to a hotel, and gave her drugs and alcohol. Within a few days he had started arranging for her to have sex with other men for money. Mr. Lopez-Plascencia continued to give her significant amounts of cocaine, and she was dependent upon Mr. Lopez-Plascencia for money and transportation. Officers with Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety ultimately found the minor after seeing the prostitution advertisements that Mr. Lopez-Plascencia posted online with pictures of the minor.
In January of 2022, Santa Rosa Police stopped Mr. Lopez-Plascencia, and found several imitation prescription pills and cocaine. A search of his house revealed a couple thousand more imitation pills, cocaine, a semi-automatic firearm, and ammunition.
On January 31, 2024 the Honorable Laura Passaglia sentenced Mr. Lopez-Plascencia to 12 years in prison. When he is released from prison he will have to register as a sex offender pursuant to Penal Code section 290 for the remainder of his life. Before imposing the sentence, Judge Passaglia told the defendant that she hopes he realizes when he is released from prison that living off of the backs of little girls is not acceptable, and that it does not make him a big man.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Ashley W Hendon. Officer Chris Snyder of the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety headed the investigation.
