Anti-human trafficking task force makes nine arrests during operation
Operation ‘Reclaim and Rebuild’ held between Feb. 6-12
Operation ‘Reclaim and Rebuild’ held between Feb. 6-12– District Attorney Dan Dow has announced that Operation Reclaim and Rebuild was a success in San Luis Obispo County between Feb. 6 and Feb. 12, 2022. San Luis Obispo County’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force enforcement effort resulted in disrupting criminal trafficking networks with the arrest of nine individuals in San Luis Obispo County over three days of enforcement operations.
This year marked the fourth year that the San Luis Obispo County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force has participated in the annual operation led by the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force. The statewide operation included more than 80 participating federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and task-forces from across California focused on combatting human trafficking in southern California.
San Luis Obispo County’s effort resulted in the following arrests and prosecutions:
Three individuals were arrested for contacting a 13-year-old minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense. They are due to be arraigned in Superior Court, Department 1 on March 24, 2022:
William Thomas Feland, 65.
Luis H. Gonzalez, 44.
Robert M. Walls Jr. 44.
Four individuals were arrested for solicitation of prostitution. They are due to be arraigned in Superior Court on June 1, 2022:
Joseph Ricardo Armas, 32
Alex Alejandro Lopez, 30.
Neil James Miller, 35 (booking photo unavailable)
James Darren Wormley, 46.
Two individuals were arrested for pimping These cases are active ongoing investigations.
“The demand for prostitution creates a lucrative cash market that traffickers fill with victims – many who are children – even in our beautiful community,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “Our local anti-human trafficking enforcement operations are designed to reduce the demand for commercial sex that leads to exploitation of minors and adults every day in our community. A warning to those thinking about purchasing sex: please stop and consider that one million kids are trafficked for sex each year and you are making it more widespread.”*
The San Luis Obispo County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force was formally established by District Attorney Dan Dow shortly after his election in 2014. This operation by the Task Force was directly aimed at disrupting networks of human trafficking for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation occurring on the central coast, identifying and assisting survivors of trafficking, and reducing the demand for trafficking and exploitation of minors by identifying and prosecuting would-be purchasers.
“Our partnership with DeliverFund ensured that our tri-county operation was successful, meeting our objective to disrupt and dismantle trafficking activity and to rescue victims from their traffickers,” said San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow. “Our community is safer today because of the assistance that DeliverFund has provided to our enforcement team. Our local operation led to the arrest of three individuals who were attempting to purchase a 13-year-old child for sexual exploitation and six other arrests for trafficking-related crimes.”
Criminal complaint charges must be proven in a court of law by proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
*Statistic above reported by UNICEF.
Comments
