Eighteen men were arrested for soliciting prostitutes on April 1. The men responded to decoy advertisements on several popular classified ad websites. Once the men agreed to pay for sex, these "Johns" were arrested.
Members of the La Quinta Special Enforcement Team (SET) with the assistance of the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RCAHT), the Coachella Community Action Team (CCAT), and the Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District (SCVCSD) conducted this demand reduction sex trafficking operation in the city of La Quinta.
Few people are aware of how extensive commercial sex selling is in the Inland Empire and even more eye opening is how damaging it is when young people are seduced or lured into commercial sex. Prostitution is illegal in the State of California according to California Penal Code 647b. Any time a minor is engaged in commercial sex it is automatically a case of human trafficking.
All too often young people meet someone online, in a chatroom, a dating site or hook up app and begin to develop a fantasy relationship without the individual realizing they are being groomed. They meet and the relationship changes to one of manipulation, abuse, and violence. The victim is filmed and the photo is placed in online sex ads where total strangers arrange to have sex with them. Over and over, often six, eight, ten customers a day. The sex buyer tells themselves that these sex providers are there willingly.
Very few sex buyers educate themselves about how sex trafficking works and even worse, they never ask questions. They simply tell themselves it is OK without acknowledging they are participating in a crime. It is called Human Trafficking.
OPAL WILL ALSO DO HER SHOW THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 10, AT 3PM ON AM590 ON SEX SELLING IN THE INLAND EMPIRE. IT IS REAL, IT HAPPENS, AND IT EFFECTS OUR KIDS.
The show will also be available at Exploited Crimes.
**Watch the video below and learn more from Opal.**
Source: Riverside County Sheriff Alert