Local Man Makes Rescuing Young Victims Of International Sex Trafficking His Mission
"This is the most significant problem, plague I call it, on Earth," Tim Ballard says.
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"This is the most significant problem, plague I call it, on Earth," Tim Ballard says.
Local and federal authorities will announce the results of a task force's eight-month effort to target human sex traffickers in the Long Beach area and rescue their victims rather than arrest them for prostitution.
A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to more than six years in state prison after pleading guilty to human trafficking and prostitution charges involving 16- and 17-year-old girls.
With tougher laws on the books to punish human traffickers and more awareness about those forced into sexual slavery, prosecutors, lawmakers and police met Friday to plot a plan to eradicate human sex trafficking.
District Attorney Jackie Lacey Wednesday announced a diversion program aimed at getting young victims of sex trafficking off the streets.
The murder Tuesday of 17-year-old Aubreyanna Sade Parks of Yorba Linda, shows how deadly the life can be.
Seventeen people were arrested Wednesday in California, Arizona and New Jersey under an indictment that targets a gang based in San Diego's North Park area.
Hundreds of residents, along with community leaders, gathered in Compton Thursday night to march against sex trafficking.
Two former teen prostitutes shared their stories with CBS2/KCAL9's Melanie Woodrow, revealing some of the dismal details that embody the hard reality of sex trafficking.
A Long Beach man is being charged with Child Sex Trafficking after allegedly forcing a 17-year-old girl to perform sexual activities with up to 50 or more men for profit.
A Long Beach man has been charged with forcing women he recruited online to work as prostitutes.
Two young girls were rescued and 15 people were arrested during a sex trafficking sting in Riverside and San Bernardino counties last week.
Some children in L.A. County's foster care system are reportedly being recruited as child prostitutes and officials want a new task force to address the problem.
The number of people identified as victims of human trafficking in California has increased steadily since 2010 as the crime has become a growing threat, California Attorney General Kamala Harris reported Friday.
Law enforcement, transit and business leaders Thursday unveiled a multimedia ad campaign aimed at raising awareness of child sex trafficking.
A Long Beach was arraigned Monday in federal court after being indicted by a grand jury with sex trafficking and forced labor charges.
When you think about the horrors of human trafficking or sex slaves, you likely think of it as a problem happening "over there."
Sex trafficking is often associated with Eastern Europe or Asia, but few recognize to what extent people are exploited in the United States. Maria Suarez was one such victim who's now working to raise awareness about sex trafficking in Los Angeles.
iSanctuary, a nonprofit organization, is planning a "purchase with a purpose" trunk show Sat., Oct. 9, at A Place of Our Own in Los Alamitos.
The Angeles National Forest issued the closure of seven trails from Feb. 10 through Feb. 23 out of concerns for "public safety."
The two women killed were sisters, the family confirmed to CBS LA.
Gordon Abas Goodarzi was denied bail during an arraignment hearing on Tuesday.
Mayor Bass said she was signing the directive to "protect Los Angeles" from the federal government.
The incident began on Monday afternoon when deputies responded to a home in the 43000 block of Blue Sky Court for a reported service call.
Savannah Guthrie has asked people across the country for help with the search for her mom, Nancy Guthrie.
The Angeles National Forest issued the closure of seven trails from Feb. 10 through Feb. 23 out of concerns for "public safety."
The two women killed were sisters, the family confirmed to CBS LA.
Gordon Abas Goodarzi was denied bail during an arraignment hearing on Tuesday.
Mayor Bass said she was signing the directive to "protect Los Angeles" from the federal government.
The Angeles National Forest issued the closure of seven trails from Feb. 10 through Feb. 23 out of concerns for "public safety."
Mayor Bass said she was signing the directive to "protect Los Angeles" from the federal government.
The incident began on Monday afternoon when deputies responded to a home in the 43000 block of Blue Sky Court for a reported service call.
The rain is expected to start around 4 p.m. on Tuesday and will continue through Wednesday evening before conditions dry out.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider a motion that would increase the sales tax by a half-cent in order to cover the massive healthcare funding cuts made by the Trump administration.
A beloved Los Angeles taco shop, an Orange County boy being gifted a Grammy and a Southern California couple getting married on sports' biggest stage were among the ties connecting the Super Bowl halftime show to The Southland.
Showers are expected to hit most of Southern California on Tuesday afternoon.
A Garden Grove coffee shop was shut down by police last week for alleged illegal activity, which included several code violations for nudity and serving alcohol without a license.
Police say that all three victims were found suffering from gunshot wounds in the street outside of a house party late Saturday night.
The shooting happened at around 3:50 p.m. near W. McFadden Avenue and Graham Street, according to Santa Ana police.
A beloved Los Angeles taco shop, an Orange County boy being gifted a Grammy and a Southern California couple getting married on sports' biggest stage were among the ties connecting the Super Bowl halftime show to The Southland.
Showers are expected to hit most of Southern California on Tuesday afternoon.
A Chino family is demanding answers after their Nicaraguan mother, who was awaiting an outcome in her asylum case, was detained by federal immigration agents in January.
Health officials say that an unvaccinated minor visited the Walmart Supercenter in Ontario on Jan. 29.
Deputies say that the suspect had run from the spot of a hit-and-run crash before they tried to take him into custody.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted videos of a person outside the home of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, on the morning of her disappearance.
Ben Ogden of Team USA won the silver medal in the cross-country sprint Tuesday at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
Instagram's parent company Meta and Google's YouTube dispute claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children.
A federal judge has blocked a California law from going into effect that would ban federal immigration agents from covering their faces but they will still be required to wear clear identification showing their agency and badge number.
The official DHS statistics, which had not been previously reported, provide the most detailed look yet into who ICE has arrested during the Trump administration's crackdown.
Democratic leaders a say White House proposal doesn't make the grade as they demand new restrictions on ICE and threaten a shutdown of the Homeland Security Department.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider a motion that would increase the sales tax by a half-cent in order to cover the massive healthcare funding cuts made by the Trump administration.
As the deadline approaches for Gov. Gavin Newsom's executive order mandating California state workers return to in-person work four days a week, there is a new bipartisan effort to change state law and allow the current telework structure to continue.
A federal judge has blocked a California law from going into effect that would ban federal immigration agents from covering their faces but they will still be required to wear clear identification showing their agency and badge number.
U.S. Olympian Hunter Hess said "there is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better," a day after President Trump lashed out at him.
San Francisco officials said Tuesday that the city has filed a lawsuit against leading manufacturers of ultra-processed foods, accusing them of producing products linked to serious health issues and alleging that the companies knowingly made the foods addictive.
A bill that would reverse a 25% tax increase on California's legal cannabis industry is heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk, after being approved by the legislature.
Meal kit delivery firm HelloFresh will pay $7.5 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of misleading customers and making it difficult for them to cancel their subscriptions.
With the help of her daughter and her 5th-grade class, CBS News California (KCAL) Investigative reporter Julie Watts investigates "Sephora Kids" concerns.
A Southern California man has pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme that stole more than $2 million from San Francisco-based food delivery company DoorDash, federal prosecutors said.
Health officials say that an unvaccinated minor visited the Walmart Supercenter in Ontario on Jan. 29.
Health officials said that the traveler arrived at LAX's Tom Bradley International Airport Terminal on a Viva Aerobus Flight on Jan. 26.
Orange County health officials have confirmed their second measles case of 2026 in an international traveler who arrived in California at Los Angeles International Airport before visiting Disneyland and California Adventure last week.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
"I don't know how I'm going to pay for this," said one person with an Affordable Care Act plan that will cost her $1,100 a month starting in January.
The Fremont factory will still manufacture Model 3 and Y, but the space where Model S and X are made will instead focus on mass production of Tesla's Gen 3 Optimus robots.
About 30% of San Francisco was without power at the height of the outage, according to utility provider PG&E.
The DMV said it is giving Tesla Motors 60 days to address its misleading use of "autopilot," or it could have its dealer license temporarily suspended.
California is set to join a growing list of states banning the practice of cat declawing, under a new law taking effect in January.
San Francisco officials said Tuesday that the city has filed a lawsuit against leading manufacturers of ultra-processed foods, accusing them of producing products linked to serious health issues and alleging that the companies knowingly made the foods addictive.
Ben Ogden of Team USA won the silver medal in the cross-country sprint Tuesday at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
The Oklahoma City Thunder snapped their two-game skid with a 119-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
A beloved Los Angeles taco shop, an Orange County boy being gifted a Grammy and a Southern California couple getting married on sports' biggest stage were among the ties connecting the Super Bowl halftime show to The Southland.
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Keion White was shot and injured early Monday morning in San Francisco, the team confirmed.
U.S. Olympian Hunter Hess said "there is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better," a day after President Trump lashed out at him.
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny took the stage on Sunday dressed in all white, donning a jersey with his last name, Ocasio, and the number 64.
Reactions poured in when Bad Bunny was named Super Bowl halftime headliner, with some praising and others criticizing the choice.
Brad Arnold, the founder and lead singer of the 3 Doors Down has died following "his courageous battle with cancer," the rock band announced Saturday on social media.
Bad Bunny took the stage at halftime for the 2026 Super Bowl. Here's who else performed at Super Bowl 60.
Don't miss the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Here's how to watch live, stream for free and catch replays.
Owner of Villa’s Tacos, Victor Villa, discusses how his Los Angeles business was chosen for the halftime show, and what Bad Bunny's performance meant to him.
Mia Asano talks about her growth from a social media audience to touring arenas, and about her upcoming Los Angeles show.
Celebrity Party Planner Marley Majcher shares ideas on how to celebrate Valentine's Day with family and friends.
Mayor Matt Mahan discusses tackling homelessness, affordable housing, public safety, and job growth.
The FBI on Tuesday morning released video of a man appearing to attempt to obscure a camera outside of Nancy Guthrie's Tucson home the morning of her disappearance. Amanda Starrantino reports.
Widely considered the greatest architect of his time, Frank Gehry helped shape Los Angeles' skyline.
A suspect was taken into custody after an attack on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on June 1 in which there were 15 people and a dog who were victims. The suspect threw Molotov cocktails that burned some of the victims, who were part of a march for Israeli hostages.
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
The Franklin Fire in Malibu quickly grew overnight and threatened several homes. Evacuation orders were issued and Pepperdine University instructed students to shelter in place.
Several people have been injured and multiple homes burned after the Mountain Fire broke out Wednesday morning in Ventura County, burning over 10,000 acres within hours.
