Big prostitution bust nabs 91 alleged pimps, johns
Long Beach police announced Wednesday that officers arrested 91 suspected pimps and johns during an eight-month investigation aimed at combating sex trafficking.
Authorities also recovered 22 young women who they alleged were working as prostitutes.
Among those arrested, 20 were charged with human trafficking, eight were charged with pimping, 24 were charged with assisting a prostitute and 29 were arrested for soliciting a prostitute.
In one case, a man arranged to have sex with two children under the age of 10, authorities alleged. When the trunk of his car was searched, police said, a large roll of carpeting, several rolls of duct tape, handcuffs, and a magazine full of bullets were found.
“You can only imagine what his intent was,” Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters at a news conference.
Authorities are providing services to the recovered women with hopes they will leave prostitution. One woman was a Chinese immigrant who came to the United States under the guise of gaining work as a massage therapist.
In February, the Long Beach City Council designated $650,000 to aggressively tackle sex trafficking. The Long Beach Police Department partnered with the federal Department of Homeland Security and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, creating a task force to tackle the issue.
“There are few things more disturbing than the buying and selling of children for sex,” said L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “We do not refer to them as prostitutes. They are victims.
Twitter:@LATangel
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
