16-Year-Old Girl Rescued After Being Forced Into Prostitution In Pomona
POMONA (CBSLA) — Authorities Saturday said a 16-year-old girl who they believe was forced into prostitution in Pomona has been rescued and reunited with her family.
The teen was initially spotted by officers Thursday on East Holt Avenue with an adult female, said Pomona police officer Angela Torres.
Officers approached the pair after they determined that their actions of walking back and forth on E. Holt Avenue were "consistent with someone loitering with the intent to commit prostitution," Torres said.
That's when police say the girl told officers she was underage, was not from Pomona, and required help.
"This is the second juvenile recovered by SETT officers this week and the eighth juvenile rescued since the creation of the Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Team in January of 2020," police said in a news release.
Authorities said the girl was released into the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services who reunited her with her family.
An investigation is underway. However, preliminary findings suggest that the girl had been brought to Pomona a few days prior by friends she had recently met online under the pretense of celebrating her birthday. Subsequent to that, the same individuals abandoned her with a few personal items and no means of returning home.
The adult female detained during this investigation was arrested on suspicion of a prostitution-related charge.