Sex TraffickingArchive 2008–2016

Sex Trafficking in King County (2009)

A sex trafficking case from 2009 in King County, United States.

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Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don’t have a verifiable source on file yet. Know one?

What happened

Investigators believe members of a gang called the Westside Street Mobb forced 12 women and girls to perform sex acts for money, beat them and took the money they earned over several months last year, according to charges filed in King County Superior Court. The names of the gang members are as follows: *DeShawn Clark- 18-year-old who also goes by "Cash" or "Cash Money". Was charged in November with promoting prostitution and other charges. Prosecutors added the charge of second-degree human trafficking. *Thomas L. Foster- 19, was also charged in November *Shawn S. Clark, 20 *Gerald Jackson, 21 *Mycah Johnson, 19 *Desmond Manago, 20 Investigators say the gang, which is affiliated with the Bloods, has 20 to 30 members involved in robbery, drug sales, weapon possession and aggravated assaults, according to charging papers. The women claimed they were forced to work at a hotel in Portland, hotels in Seattle and Tukwila and at a basement apartment in the 10400 block of Des Moines Memorial Drive South, charging papers said.

Response and intervention

All six alleged members of a West Seattle street gang have been charged in connection with the forced prostitution of women and juveniles. One of them is charged under a 6-year-old law that specifically targets human trafficking. It was the first time that King County charged anyone under this specific law. Charges against DeShawn Clark now include second-degree human-trafficking, first-degree promoting prostitution, two counts of promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor, second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment and drug possession. Foster has pleaded not guilty to two counts of promoting prostitution and second-degree assault. Shawn S. Clark, Jackson and Manago were charged with promoting prostitution. Johnson was charged with promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor.

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Sex Trafficking2008

Renton, Washington, United States, 2008

United States US

The locations included the Aloha Tanning Resort in Renton, Wash., the Avalon Spa in North Seattle and the Malibu Tanning Spa in Tukwila, Wash. Search warrants were also served at homes in Kent, Wash., and Renton as well as on board the "Island Girl" moored at the Westlake Marina on Lake Union in Seattle. According to court documents, Frey operated his businesses under the name of Crown Venture Capitol, Inc., and Crown Venture Management, Ltd., from his home in California. Every couple of weeks, Frey would fly to Seattle to collect thousands of dollars in cash from Nguyen and others who were managers at his businesses. Frey and Nguyen would regularly make arrangements to transport women to work in tanning salons as prostitutes. The women would stay for several weeks and eventually leave Washington state for another location. While working here at the salons, the women offered to provide sex acts to undercover officers and informants in exchange for cash. ICE was joined in this investigation by the King County Sheriff's Department and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016

Domestic Servitude2008

Algona, Washington, United States, 2008

United States US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 5 South King County residents on federal charges for conspiring to enslave a 16 year-old Afghan immigrant girl. Those arrested were: Mohammed Atahee, 37 Nasima Yousufi, 70 Mohammad Yousufi, 84 Nahid Yousufi, 29 Maruf Yousufi, 42 The teen was forced to cook, clean, and do laundry for Atahee and the Yousufis, a federal grand jury indictment says. During the same period, the Yousufis required her to perform all the household chores and care for their children at 28004 33rd Ave. S., Auburn. Nahid Yousufi threatened the girl, called "JVI" in court documents, with arrest and deportation if she failed to live with Atahee or work for the Yousufis. On January 26, 2008, Atahee raped the girl, court documents say. Prosecutors accuse Nasima Yousifi and Nahid Yousifi of causing a marriage to take place between the girl - then 13 in Afghanistan and Atahee, then 33, in the summer of 2005. Because the marriage was not recognized by U.S. authorities, Nasima Yousufi allegedly told U.S. Embassy officials in Pakistan that the girl was the biological daughter of Nasima - then 66 years old - in order to obtain a visa for her. If found guilty, the defendants face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016

Sex Trafficking2006

Renton, North Seattle, and Tukwila, WA, United States, 2006

United States US

Doanld Kerry Frey, 36, of South Lake Tahoe, Ca., and Nguyen Tran Nguyen, 26, were arrested on charges of conspiracy to transport prostitutes across state lines and money laundering after a two year investigation into several King County tanning salons. Prosecutors allege Frey, through a holding company called Crown Venture Capital, owned the now-closed Aloha Tanning Resort in Renton, the Avalon Spa on Aurora Avenue North in North Seattle, and the Mailbu Tanning Spa in Tukwila. They alleged the salons operated as brothels for itinerant prostitutes traveling a circuit between the West Coast and Texas. Nguyen Tran Nguyen, according to the indictment, had booked more than 70 airline tickets to bring prostitutes into Seattle since early 2007. Once here, they work at the spas for several weeks and then move on. The women, mostly Asians, would advertise on a variety of Web sites. Over the past two years, several undercover officers and informants have visited the spas and have been offered sex for money, acording to the indictment. The warrant says Fret and a business partner had been under investigation for prostitution in Southern California as well.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016