Crime & Safety
Child Trafficking Bust Hits Close to Home in Sonoma County
Rescue of three female juveniles - including one Sonoma County resident - and arrests of four suspected pimps in two-day sweep underscores pervasiveness of child trafficking.
An FBI-coordinated human trafficking sweep involving several Sonoma County law enforcement agencies resulted in the rescue of nine females including three children and the arrests of four men, authorities said on Tuesday.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and Santa Rosa Police Department's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Units led the FBI's Operation Cross Country locally with assistance from the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, Petaluma Police Department and Rohnert Park Public Safety Department.
The operation was held at two separate Sonoma County hotels over a two day period, Sonoma County Sheriff's Sgt. Ruben Martinez said.
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The operation resulted in the rescue of 105 child human trafficking victims and the arrest of 150 suspected pimps.
"The goal of the operation was to rescue underage children who were victimized by being sexually exploited," said Martinez, who works in the SCSO's Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Unit.
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The results of the sweep show the pervasiveness of child-trafficking locally - an eye-opener for many who view it as an overseas problem occurring mostly in Third World countries, according to Terry Anderson of the SRPD Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Unit.
"We may not be aware of it but this is something that's occurring all around us," Anderson said. "It helps out people who are in these situations; they're able to meet people who want to help who have the resources that can, if they want, get them out of this lifestyle."
One of the juveniles rescued was a 15 year-old and the two others 17, Martinez said.
All but one of the rescued females is a Sonoma County resident (she's one of the juveniles, Martinez said).
Authorities arrested four suspected pimps: Quoc Pham, 23 of Sacramento, Noel Crosby (31 of Oakland), William Kareem (28 of Vallejo), and Preston Boui (21 of Vallejo).
Representatives from Verity, Crossing the Jordan Foundation and the Soroptimist Club of Sonoma County, were on the scene providing counseling and support to the rescued women.
"They're forced into these situations that they have no control over and they have these controlling people in their lives, usually men, that force them into prostitution," Anderson said.
"They're able to get these women, minor women usually, to feel that they're doing this on this relationship platform. A lot of these girls talk about how much they love this man or this person that's in their lives."
