Long Beach man faces teen sex trafficking charges in Orange County
The Orange County District Attorney's Office charged a Long Beach man accused of sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl in Anaheim.
Michael Terrell, 33, faces three charges related to the alleged trafficking. If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum sentence of 29 years in prison. He is being held on a $250,000 bond.
Prosecutors said Terrell was previously convicted of kidnapping.
"The faces of human trafficking are unbelievably the faces of children, the most vulnerable victims who are being exploited by some of the most diabolical predators that exist," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. "Our children are not for sale here in Orange County – or anywhere."
Officers from the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force started their investigation into Terrell after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children last week, according to the Orange County DA.
Investigators quickly located Terrell and the teenage girl he was allegedly trafficking at a motel in Anaheim.
"Through our collaborative efforts, the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force continues to be a beacon of hope for victims that help is on the way and that we will be unrelenting in our efforts to rescue each and every victim of human trafficking – and to punish their traffickers with the full force of the law," Spitzer said.
The Orange County DA said they provided victim services to the teen after the arrest.