Human Trafficking Charges Filed and Additional Victims Sought
City of Long Beach
["Long Beach Police Department"]
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A- A A+ Long Beach Police Department Media Relations 400 W. Broadway Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 570-5273 1/20/2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Release # Subject: HUMAN TRAFFICKING CHARGES FILED AND ADDITIONAL VICTIMS SOUGHT Contact: Media Relations Detail 562-570-5273 Defendant Reginald Washington A human trafficking investigation has led to the rescue of several female minors, and charges being filed against a male adult, with additional victims being sought. On January 14, 2015, detectives from the Long Beach Police Department’s Vice Investigations Section along with Los Angeles Police Department Operation South Bureau Human Trafficking Task Force detectives, presented a Human Trafficking case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing considerations against Reginald Washington, an 18yr old resident of Los Angeles. Washington was already in custody on an unrelated charge out of Los Angeles. The District Attorney’s Office filed seven counts of human trafficking, involving seven minor victims. On January 19, 2016, Washington was arraigned in Los Angeles Superior Court and his bail was set at $1,900,000.00. Detectives initiated an investigation after they located a minor in the City of Long Beach who relayed to them that she was being forced to perform acts of prostitution for Washington. This initial investigation led detectives to additional minor victims who relayed similar stories. The Los Angeles Police Department detectives also identified minors who had been victimized by Washington in the city of Los Angeles, and worked together with Long Beach detectives to successfully investigate this case. Investigators believe other victims may exist and strongly encourage them to come forward by contacting the Long Beach Police Department’s Vice Detail at (562) 570-7219. The Long Beach Police Department is a proud member of the Commercially Sexually Exploited Child Task Force formed in 2013 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The victims who were identified by detectives will be provided victim centered services through the Los Angeles County First Responder Protocol for Sexually Exploited Children. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to call the Long Beach Police Department’s Vice Investigations Detail at (562) 570-7219. This information is preliminary and is intended for early information use rather than being a formal investigative report. About Long Beach Police Department The mission of the Long Beach Police Department is to enhance public safety through partnerships, while providing a safe City for all people. For more information on the Police Department, please visit us at www.longbeach.gov/police . Follow us on social media to stay connected: Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . 