San Rafael, CA, United States
The victim was a 16-year-old girl who ran away from her home in Washington. She arrived in the Bay Area on August 3, 2007. She had met the suspect in MySpace and came to the Bay Area to meet him, but there was no mention of prostitution until after she had arrived. Upon her arrival, the suspect told the victim that she must prostitute herself. According to San Rafael police spokesperson Margo Rohrbacher, "[The suspect] told her that he wanted her to prostitute herself, or his friends would look up her family and hurt them … She would give all her money to him, and he would give her money for food and clothing. She was staying with him at some location in the East Bay." Police found the girl on the street, where she appeared to be looking for sexual customers. They stopped to question her, and she told them her situation. Under their direction, she called the suspect, saying she had a customer waiting and asking how much to charge. The suspect gave her instructions and said he would meet her at the Canal area Burger King to collect the money. Police arrested the suspect when he drove up to the restaurant. Police also found marijuana in his car, which was impounded. The suspect was arraigned on 8/10/2007 on charges of “soliciting for a prostitute, pandering, unlawful sex by fraud or fear, sale or transportation of marijuana and driving with a suspended or revoked license”