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.
Police arrested a man allegedly tied to a string of bronze plaque thefts in four Orange County cities.
A Ventura County man was sentenced to 118 years to life in prison for decades of sexual abuse and rape of multiple victims dating back to the 1990s, according to prosecutors.
The suspected gunman was found dead in the school from a "self-inflicted injury," Canadian police said.
Caltrans crews closed a portion of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in the Palisades Fire burn scar as the area prepares for the latest storms.
A federal grand jury refused to indict six Democrats who drew President Trump's ire by taping a video telling members of the military that they must reject "illegal orders," three sources told CBS News.
Savannah Guthrie has asked people across the country for help with the search for her mom, Nancy Guthrie.
Police arrested a man allegedly tied to a string of bronze plaque thefts in four Orange County cities.
A Ventura County man was sentenced to 118 years to life in prison for decades of sexual abuse and rape of multiple victims dating back to the 1990s, according to prosecutors.
The suspected gunman was found dead in the school from a "self-inflicted injury," Canadian police said.
Caltrans crews closed a portion of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in the Palisades Fire burn scar as the area prepares for the latest storms.
Police arrested a man allegedly tied to a string of bronze plaque thefts in four Orange County cities.
A Ventura County man was sentenced to 118 years to life in prison for decades of sexual abuse and rape of multiple victims dating back to the 1990s, according to prosecutors.
Caltrans crews closed a portion of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in the Palisades Fire burn scar as the area prepares for the latest storms.
An Orange County woman wound up in the middle of the romance scam that has cost another woman at least $100,000.
The LA City Council must approve the donation. The website logs every time a drone is sent to a 911 call.
Police arrested a man allegedly tied to a string of bronze plaque thefts in four Orange County cities.
An Orange County woman wound up in the middle of the romance scam that has cost another woman at least $100,000.
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.
An Orange County woman wound up in the middle of the romance scam that has cost another woman at least $100,000.
A Southern California man who was "acting as an illegal agent of the People's Republic of China" while working as a political advisor for a San Bernardino County politician was sentenced to four years in prison on Monday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
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.
A 14-year-old girl said she was "crying" and "struggling to breathe" when law enforcement officers herded her onto a racetrack with other detainees and zip-tied her hands.
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.
A federal grand jury refused to indict six Democrats who drew President Trump's ire by taping a video telling members of the military that they must reject "illegal orders," three sources told CBS News.
A 14-year-old girl said she was "crying" and "struggling to breathe" when law enforcement officers herded her onto a racetrack with other detainees and zip-tied her hands.
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.
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.
Right tackle Rob Havenstein is retiring after an 11-year career with the Rams.
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.
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.
Rina Nakano reports on the Hoag Hospital program that is providing brain surgery patients with a free trip to the salon to get them styled for surgery.
Jeff Nguyen provides an in-depth look at the economic impact of immigration enforcement operations across Los Angeles.
Evelyn Taft tracks the rain coming to Southern California.
An Orange County woman wound up in the middle of the romance scam that has cost another woman at least $100,000. Michele Gile reports.
The City of Baldwin Park is taking a visible stance amid ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations. Luzdelia Caballero 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.
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