Three convicted of sex trafficking teen in San Luis Obispo
Three juries deliver guilty verdicts in historic joint trafficking prosecution
– Three individuals were convicted of trafficking a minor for sex following a two-month trial involving three separate juries in a single courtroom, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday evening.
Tremaine Quincy Tejon Jones, 32; Joshua Diante Murphy, 30; and Heather Lynne Hunt, 32, were each found guilty of human trafficking a minor for sexual purposes and pimping a minor under the age of 16 stemming from incidents in January 2021.
In addition to the trafficking and pimping charges, Murphy was found guilty of possessing and distributing child pornography and committing sex acts on a 15-year-old. Hunt was convicted of trafficking the victim under “force, fear, threats, menace, duress, or coercion,” a finding that carries a potential sentence of 15 years to life.
The juries also found aggravating factors for all three defendants, allowing the court to consider enhanced sentencing.
“Trafficking a young juvenile for commercial sexual exploitation is outrageous criminal conduct that devastates its victims leaving wounds for a lifetime and that’s why we work so hard to combat it here in San Luis Obispo County,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a statement. “We honor the young survivor who demonstrated strength and courage during the lengthy process that included testimony in court and rigorous cross-examination by three defense attorneys. We thank all the jurors who were on time and gave this important case their utmost attention during the lengthy trial and for their verdicts. I am very proud of our prosecution team that includes partners from many agencies who collaborate with our San Luis Obispo County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force.”
The trial marked the first time in San Luis Obispo County that three defendants were tried simultaneously in one courtroom with three separate juries. The structure was necessary because the law prohibits using incriminating statements made by one defendant against co-defendants unless each defendant has a separate jury. Each jury heard the full trial, except during portions of evidence admissible only against a specific defendant, during which the other juries were excused.
During the trial, the juries heard that Jones, Murphy and Hunt lured a 15-year-old girl from Nevada and trafficked her over a 16-day period through various California cities. Law enforcement rescued her in Pismo Beach in January 2021.
The arrests occurred during Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, an annual anti-human trafficking enforcement operation in Southern California. Agencies involved included the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office Counter-Human Trafficking Team, the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, and other members of the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force aims to provide victim services, identify and arrest traffickers, support prosecutions, and target individuals seeking to purchase sex from trafficking victims.
Jones has a hearing scheduled for July 25 to determine whether a prior conviction for gross sexual imposition in North Dakota qualifies as a strike under California law. If found to be a strike, it could double his potential sentence.
All three defendants are scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 27 in Department 5 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, with Judge Timothy S. Covello presiding.
Deputy District Attorney Kim Dittrich of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case. Victim Advocate Divina Diaz supported the survivor throughout the proceedings. The investigation involved the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation, and the following agencies: the Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit, the San Luis Obispo Area California Highway Patrol ISU Team, the San Luis Obispo County Probation Department, the FBI Santa Maria Office, and the Reno Police Department HEAT Team. Non-governmental organizations DeliverFund and Freedom Calling also provided support.
