| For Immediate Release Case # 14NF2269
May 22, 2014 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718Farrah Emami Spokesperson Office: 714-347-8405 Cell: 714-323-4486
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MAN ARRAIGNED ON PIMPING AND PANDERING CHARGES OF WOMAN HE MET ON INSTAGRAM
FULLERTON – A man was arraigned today on pimping and pandering charges of a woman he met on Instagram. Kumi Gyabaa Yiadom, 23, Los Angeles, is charged with one felony count each of pimping and pandering. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison. Yiadom is being held on $100,000 bail and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond. He was arraigned today and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on June 2, 2014, at 8:30 a.m. in N-3, North Justice Center, Fullerton.
Circumstances of the Case
Yiadom is accused of being a pimp who exploits women and/or children for financial gain. Pimps often establish rigid rules that their victims are expected to follow including requiring victims to address the pimp as “Daddy.”
The defendant is accused of meeting Jane Doe, who lived in another state, on Instagram and being in contact with her for over a year. In April 2014, the defendant is accused of buying a plane ticket for the victim to fly to Los Angeles. While Jane Doe was in Los Angeles, Yiadom is accused of causing, inducing, persuading, and encouraging her to engage in multiple acts of commercial sex.
The defendant is accused of collecting all of the money Jane Doe was paid for commercial sex acts and personally benefiting from the proceeds of the prostitution. The defendant is accused of driving the victim to multiple motels in Los Angeles and Orange Counties for purposes of earning money from the victim’s acts of prostitution. He is accused of instructing the victim refer to him as “Papa” or “Daddy.”
On May 16, 2014, members of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF) contacted the victim at an Anaheim motel. A subsequent investigation led to the arrest of the defendant in Northridge.
OCHTTF and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office work proactively to protect victims, especially minors, from commercial sexual exploitation. With the rise in popularity of social media and ease of meeting people on the Internet, many pimps and human traffickers utilize these methods to locate potential victims. This case was investigated by the Anaheim Police Department and California Highway Patrol with the assistance of OCHTTF.
Deputy District Attorney Daniel Varon of the HEAT Unit is prosecuting this case.