Santa Rosa man accused of sex trafficking 14-year-old in Rohnert Park

ROHNERT PARK -- A man accused of sex trafficking a 14-year-old child was arrested in Rohnert Park following a months-long investigation, police said Thursday.

The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety (DPS) identified the suspect as 27-year-old Santa Rosa resident Pedro Lopez-Plascencia. In a press statement, the agency said Lopez-Plascencia trafficked the teen at local motels in Rohnert Park and the surrounding area.

Lopez-Plascencia was arrested Wednesday after an 11-month investigation, according to the DPS. Details about the circumstances surrounding his arrest were not available.

Lopez-Plascencia faces six felony charges: human trafficking of a minor for sex, pimping a minor under the age of 16, pandering a minor under the age of 16, procuring a child under the age of 16 for lewd or lascivious acts, distribution of child pornography, and providing a controlled substance to a minor. 

He was taken to the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility and was being held on a $750,000 bail.

Anyone with information about the case or other possible victims of human trafficking was urged to contact Rohnert Park DPS Officer Chris Snyder at (707) 584-2600 and refer to Case #22-2603. 

The DPS said the average age for a victim forced into the sex industry in Sonoma County is estimated to be between 12 and 14 years old, with victims are usually targeted based on their vulnerability. Since 2011, more than 200 cases of human trafficking have been filed by the county district attorney's office; however, a majority of cases are unreported, DPS said.