FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Case # 18CF2383
DATE: August 28, 2018
MAN ARRAIGNED FOR PIMPING AND PANDERING 32-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IN NEWPORT BEACH
*The defendant has a domestic relationship with the victim within the definition of Penal Code Section 137000(b)
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was arraigned yesterday for pimping and pandering a 32-year-old woman in Newport Beach
|
Defendant |
Charges |
Maximum Sentence |
Court Date |
|
David Winslow Knaak, 51, Irvine |
Charged on Aug. 23, 2018 with the following felony counts:
|
Six years in state prison |
Pre-trial Hearing
Sept. 5, 2018, 8:30 a.m.
Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana |
Knaak is accused of being a human trafficker/pimp who exploits women for financial gain. Penal Code 13700 (b) defines the relationship as abuse committed against an adult or minor who is a spouse, former spouse, former cohabitant, or person with whom the suspect has had a child or is having or has had a dating engagement relationship.
Circumstances of the Case
- On May 29, 2018, Knaak is accused of pimping and pandering 32 year-old Jane Doe.
- On May 29, 2018, the Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) with the help of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF) located a sexually explicit advertisement depicting a woman on a website known for prostitution.
- Investigators responded to the advertisement and set up a “date” with Jane Doe at a local hotel.
- The defendant is accused of driving Jane Doe to the hotel and pimping and pandering her for prostitution. He is further accused of waiting at the hotel bar for Jane Doe to finish with her “date.”
Members of the OCHTTF and the Orange County District Attorney’s (OCDA) Office work proactively to protect women and minors from falling victim to commercial sexual exploitation. This case was investigated by OCHTTF, a partnership between Anaheim Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Costa Mesa Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Irvine Police Department, Newport Beach Police Department, OCDA, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Santa Ana Police Department, and community and non-profit partners.
Prosecutor: Deputy District Attorney Caroline Smith, HEAT Unit
Proposition 35 and HEAT
To read more about California’s anti-human trafficking Proposition 35 (Prop 35) and the OCDA’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit, please visit www.orangecountyda.org and select Human Trafficking Information from the Media Center drop down menu.