Man charged with pimping, rape, human trafficking and more in Costa Mesa prostitution case
A Corona man faces several felony charges in connection with the pimping of two women and a 17-year-old boy in Costa Mesa earlier this year, the Orange County district attorney’s office said Thursday.
Kenneth Wayne Phillips, 28, also is accused of assault, forcible rape, false imprisonment, furnishing methamphetamine to a minor, robbery and other charges.
Prosecutors allege that Phillips pimped a 24-year-old woman at various motels in Orange County between April 8 and 22.
He also is accused of raping an 18-year-old woman on April 15 and of pimping, robbing and falsely imprisoning her at an unidentified Costa Mesa motel, according to the district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors allege that Phillips also pimped a 17-year-old boy by providing him with methamphetamine in exchange for money the boy received through prostitution.
On April 22, prosecutors allege, Phillips assaulted the boy in the parking structure of an unidentified Costa Mesa motel, causing great bodily injury.
The women and the boy, whose names have not been released, contacted the Costa Mesa Police Department, and officers arrested Phillips at the motel where the boy was assaulted, according to the DA’s office.
Phillips was charged April 26 with two felony counts of pimping and one felony count each of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, false imprisonment, second-degree robbery, pandering by procuring, pandering, forcible rape and human trafficking, with a sentencing enhancement of inflicting great bodily injury.
On Tuesday, prosecutors further charged him with one felony count each of human trafficking of a minor, pimping a minor, furnishing methamphetamine to a minor and pandering a minor over 16 by promise, threat or violence.
A co-defendant in the case is Taylor Dahnielle Langley, 26, also of Corona, who authorities say was romantically involved with Phillips.
Prosecutors allege that Phillips contacted Langley from jail and instructed her to dissuade the women and the boy from participating as witnesses in the case.
Langley is accused of contacting them through social media between April 27 and June 12.
The district attorney’s office on Nov. 22 charged Langley with three felony counts of dissuading a witness from prosecuting a crime. She could face up to three years in state prison if convicted. Her next court date has not been determined.
On Tuesday, Phillips also was charged with three felony counts of dissuading a witness, as well as three felony counts of violating a protective order.
If convicted of all charges, Phillips could face 44 years in state prison and would have to register as a sex offender for life.
He is scheduled to appear Wednesday in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana for a pretrial hearing.
Twitter: @LukeMMoney
