| For Immediate Release Case # 13WF0628 August 26, 2013 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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WOMAN SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN STATE PRISON FOR RECRUITING AND SEX TRAFFICKING 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN FIRST ORANGE COUNTY PROPOSITION 35 CASE
*Co-defendant pimp is charged with forcibly sex trafficking the victim in this case
SANTA ANA – A woman, who was also a prostitute, was sentenced Friday, Aug. 23, 2013, to five years in state prison for recruiting and sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl into prostitution in the first Orange County case of human trafficking of a minor under Proposition 35 (Prop 35). Cierra Melissa Robinson, 28, was found guilty by a jury July 11, 2013, of one felony count of human trafficking of a minor and pandering of a minor under 16 years old by procuring.
Co-defendant Chuncey Tarae Garcia, 33, is charged with one felony count each of human trafficking of a minor by force or fear, pimping a minor, and forcible rape, with sentencing enhancement allegations for forcible rape of a minor 14 years of age and prior prison convictions for possession for sale of cocaine in 2007 and transportation of cocaine in 2009. If convicted, Garcia faces a maximum sentence of 28 years to life in state prison. Garcia is scheduled for jury trial Sept. 23, 2013, at 8:45 a.m. in Department C-5, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Circumstances of the Case
Garcia is accused of being a pimp and Robinson worked for him as a prostitute and recruited other women to prostitute for Garcia. In the pimp/prostitution subculture, pimps often assign ranks to the women they exploit. They often establish rigid rules that their victims are expected to follow including requiring victims to speak only when spoken to, address the pimp as “Sir” or “Daddy,” setting daily quotas that the victims are expected to fulfill, and assigning seats in the car based on “rank.” Failure to follow these rules can result in deprivation of food and/or physical or emotional abuse. Robinson was the highest-ranking of Garcia’s prostitutes.
In February 2013, 14-year-old Jane Doe lived in another state and ran away from home. A missing persons report was filed by her family. After running away, Jane Doe met Robinson, who befriended the victim with the intention of procuring her as a prostitute for Garcia.
One night in February 2013, Robinson introduced Garcia to Jane Doe, and Garcia is accused of and Robinson is convicted of taking the victim to a hotel room under the pretense of offering her an opportunity to make money. Once at the hotel, Garcia is accused of telling Jane Doe that she would be working as a prostitute for him. Garcia is accused of telling Robinson to purchase a cell phone for Jane Doe and post sexually explicit advertisements depicting Jane Doe on the internet. Two days later, Garcia is accused of trafficking Jane Doe, along with Robinson and a third woman, into California to Orange County.