Sex TraffickingArchive 2008–2016

Sex Trafficking in North Seattle, Washington (2010)

A sex trafficking case from 2010 in North Seattle, Washington, 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

"A man charged with kidnapping and promoting prostitution on Aurora Avenue North served two decades in prison for selling crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of Garfield High School. Additional police documents in the case against Derrick "Vamp" Hargress were released Tuesday. Hargress has pleaded not guilty to first-degree promoting prostitution and second-degree kidnapping. His next court date is Aug. 19. Hargress told a 21-year-old girl he allegedly forced himself upon that he was a Hoover Crip. When Hargress, now 48, pleaded guilty to selling crack and using a firearm while dealing, a federal judge said he would consider lowering his sentence if he wrote a letter warning Los Angeles Crips gang members of the risk of committing crimes in Seattle. "Crip members, wake up and learn from my experience (not the hard way!) that coming to Seattle to sell cocaine isn't wise at all," Hargress wrote in a two-page letter, according to a 1988 P-I story. But prosecutors questioned his sincerity and after Hargress' letter said he is "probably the most dangerous and the most dedicated to crime of the 26 'gang-related defendants' indicted thus far." From 1986 and 1988, Seattle saw an influx of gang members from Los Angeles who were paid more for crack cocaine here than in Los Angeles. Many were members of the Nine Deuce Hoover Crips, a name that comes from the intersection of 92nd and Hoover streets in L.A. A Seattle crack house busted in 1988 showed the graffiti tags of Hargress and other gang members who pleaded guilty to federal charges. Hoover Crips are still a problem in Seattle, but not to the extent seen in the late 1980s, according to police. Hargress was released from federal prison in 2008. Court documents show that year he was convicted of drug offenses, assault and had domestic violence assault convictions in 2009." -seattlepi.com www.seattlepi.com/local/424864_cop11.html?source=rss

Response and intervention

"June 9, a woman called police saying Hargress had gone to a North Seattle residence and threatened to shoot people there if the 21-year-old girl didn't leave with him. He said there were gang members down the street waiting to "shoot the place up," according to court documents. Police obtained a search warrant for Room 26 of the Isabella Motel and recovered the young woman's identification and five cell phones, according to court documents. Jail records show Hargress was booked June 10 and is being held without bail. He pleaded not guilty June 28." -Seattlepi www.seattlepi.com/local/424864_cop11.html?source=rss

Nearby cases

All 892 in the United States →

Sex Trafficking2008

Westside of Seattle, United States, 2008

United States US

DeShawn Clark, 18, who goes by "Cash" or "Cash Money" was charged in November of 2008 with promoting prostitution and other charges. Prosecutors added the charge of second-degree human trafficking on Friday, March 20, 2009. This is the first time King County has charged anyone under the 2003 law that was passed that criminalized human trafficking. Charges agains 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. Thomas I. Foster, 19, was also charged in Movember and several other members were charged with various related counts Friday, including Shawn S. Clark, 20; Gerald Jackson, 21; Mycah Johnson, 19, and Desmond Manago, 20. Investigators say the gang, which is affiliated with the Bloods, has 20-30 members involved in robbery, drug sales, weapon possession and aggravated assaults, according to charging papers.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016

Sex Trafficking2012

Seattle, Washington, United States, 2012

United States US

A federal grand jury has indicted the owner and seven other individuals linked to a local Korean nightclub for allegedly operating an interstate prostitution scheme involving Asian women, many recruited overseas, who worked as "hostesses" at the club to repay their travel and living expenses, announced U. S Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. According to court documents filed in the case, the defendants sought Korean females to work as "bar girls" at The Blue Moon, a Korean "room salon" in Federal Way, Wash., where the women were expected to entertain male clients and set up subsequent meetings for paid sex. The 12-count indictment charges the defendants with a variety of violations, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, visa fraud, harboring illegal aliens, bribery and transportation in furtherance of prostitution. The charges are the result of a two-year multi-agency probe spearheaded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). "The organizers of this criminal scheme exploited vulnerable young women to satisfy their greed," said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. "They also sought to protect their business by offering bribes to law enforcement." Six of the individuals charged in the investigation were taken into custody Thursday morning by ICE HSI agents in the Seattle area. They made their initial appearances in federal court Thursday afternoon. They are: • Chang Young Kim, 58, of Milton, Wash., the owner of The Blue Moon; • Yeun Jeong Mun, 35, of Milton, Wash., Kim's wife, who allegedly served as a former madam at The Blue Moon; • Miyoung Roberts, 40, of Federal Way, Wash., allegedly serves as the current madam at The Blue Moon; • Jung San So, 55, of Seattle, current manager of The Blue Moon; • Raymond Jung, 51, of Federal Way, Wash., leased apartments where hostesses were allegedly housed; and • Kwang Frank Lee, 57, of Federal Way, Wash., allegedly provided money to finance a fraudulent marriage tied to the scheme. In addition to the other charges, defendant Kim is also facing five criminal counts involving $15,000 in bribes he allegedly paid an undercover officer in the case. In exchange, The Blue Moon's owner allegedly wanted advance notice of law enforcement inspections at the nightclub and cooperation from immigration authorities to allow the undocumented Korean women to enter the country.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016

Sex Trafficking2011

Seattle, Washington, United States, 2011

United States US

Convicted pimp Anthony "Mack" Terry was sentenced to 20 years in prison April 29, 2011. Terry, whose defense was that he was a drug dealer, not a pimp, was convicted in March 2011 of two counts of promoting the commercial sex abuse of a minor, second-degree promoting prostitution, and witness tampering. King County Superior Court Judge Beth Andrus had just handed down the 20-year prison sentence when the courtroom phone rang. On the line was the teenage victim Terry had pimped out and later asked to lie for him in a series of recorded phone calls he made from inside the King County Jail. "I just want to say I was never a victim, and Anthony Terry was never my pimp," said the woman, whose call was put on the Court's speaker phone. The woman was 18 at the time of the sentencing but was 17 when Terry was twice arrested for pimping her out. Judge Andrus had already heard the woman's denials during Terry's bench trial, but apparently found them unpersuasive. In March 2011, Judge Andrus found Terry guilty of two counts of promoting the commercial sex abuse of a minor, second-degree promoting prostitution, and witness tampering. During closing arguments in March 2011, Prosecutor O'Donnell played a series of recorded phone calls between Terry and the 17-year-old, in which Terry can be heard directing her to post photos of herself online to make money to bail him out and pay for an attorney. O'Donnell also held up a screen shot of Terry's MySpace page, which bore the words "pimp in action."

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016