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Anyone in California who has faced sexual abuse has a right to hold their abuser accountable. Facebook messages recently implicated a man for forcing young girls to act as prostitutes.
What Happened to the Victims?
Two underage girls and several women were found to be kept in a motel for hours at a time. Terrified, they grew antsy and asked the man keeping them there if they could leave or at least get food. The man exerted his control over them and said they could only eat when they were finished working.
“Working” meant that the girls and women had to have sex with men for money.
How Did the Perpetrator Get Arrested?
The Facebook messages helped police to locate the perpetrator. The 30-year-old man was arrested on charges of pimping out the women and underage girls. An investigation was performed into a sex trafficking ring. Two other people, another man and a woman, were also arrested in connection with the ring. Seven of the victims were adults and the other two were minors.
According to the police, the man was identified by a Facebook page through which he exchanged messages to set up “dates” between the victims and random men. One of his messages stated that a girl would receive $60 for such a date.
The police were able to locate the perpetrator through a term he used in one message. The term asked anyone who responded to state their location.
One of the victims said in a separate message that she didn’t want to leave the motel to meet men. The abuser replied that he didn’t care and that he was the one calling the shots. He was also the one who determined when they would eat as he said they had to work before they could eat.Investigators had enough evidence to find the man at a motel and arrest him.