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.
Two people, including a Menifee Police Department officer, were hospitalized following a multi-car crash at a busy intersection on Wednesday afternoon.
Glendale police have arrested five people who were allegedly part of a "family-run theft crew" that they believe are connected to several distraction theft investigations.
Deputies said that they found more than 1,000 marijuana plants at a home in Wildomar that had been "transformed" into a cultivation site.
Dramatic video shows the moments when a tortoise safely scampers away from a burning shed in the backyard of a home in Fullerton over the weekend.
Los Angeles firefighters treated 14 students at Panorama High School after someone accidentally used pepper spray on Wednesday.
Two people, including a Menifee Police Department officer, were hospitalized following a multi-car crash at a busy intersection on Wednesday afternoon.
Glendale police have arrested five people who were allegedly part of a "family-run theft crew" that they believe are connected to several distraction theft investigations.
Deputies said that they found more than 1,000 marijuana plants at a home in Wildomar that had been "transformed" into a cultivation site.
Dramatic video shows the moments when a tortoise safely scampers away from a burning shed in the backyard of a home in Fullerton over the weekend.
Los Angeles firefighters treated 14 students at Panorama High School after someone accidentally used pepper spray on Wednesday.
Glendale police have arrested five people who were allegedly part of a "family-run theft crew" that they believe are connected to several distraction theft investigations.
Los Angeles firefighters treated 14 students at Panorama High School after someone accidentally used pepper spray on Wednesday.
Police say that the suspect turned himself in on Wednesday after initially fleeing the scene of the crash on Saturday afternoon near the intersection of Redondo Avenue and Second Street.
The charges involve 13 trees that were cut between April 13 and April 19, including one that had a limb chopped off.
Throughout the week, goats will graze 20 acres of dry brush on the hillsides of the Verdugo Mountains park, including the slopes that lead to homes on Las Flores Drive
Dramatic video shows the moments when a tortoise safely scampers away from a burning shed in the backyard of a home in Fullerton over the weekend.
The Irvine Police Department said a man armed with a machete would not let his family leave their home.
Newport Beach city leaders are set to implement stiffer fines and add extra police to crack down on the spring break partiers this year after receiving complaints of underage drinking and unruly parties from residents.
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.
Two people, including a Menifee Police Department officer, were hospitalized following a multi-car crash at a busy intersection on Wednesday afternoon.
Deputies said that they found more than 1,000 marijuana plants at a home in Wildomar that had been "transformed" into a cultivation site.
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.
"Dawson's Creek" and "Varsity Blues" star James Van Der Beek has died at 48 years old.
The Federal Aviation Administration changed course and said flights would resume after halting all air traffic into and out of El Paso.
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on Feb. 1 and ransom notes were being investigated.
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.
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.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are bringing back reliever Evan Phillips on a $6.5 million, one-year deal as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery.
Victor Wembanyama scored 37 of his season high-tying 40 points in the first half and the San Antonio Spurs beat the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers 136-108 for their fifth straight victory.
Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Alperen Sengun added 22 to help the Houston Rockets to a 102-95 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
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.
"Dawson's Creek" and "Varsity Blues" star James Van Der Beek has died at 48 years old.
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.
Ricardo Lopez, a former AP U.S. History Teacher at Synergy Quantum Academy, said he was fired after he opened a gate for students participating in anti-ICE walkouts. He said some of the students were hurting themselves trying to climb over the locked gate. Luzdelia Caballero reports.
Jasmine Viel takes a look at the privacy concerns being raised by the security video footage that investigators were able to recover, which was believed to be inaccessible, in the search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie in Arizona.
Zach Boetto provides a look at the latest details in the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, who was reported missing last weekend from her home in Tucson, Arizona.
A man armed with a machete held his family captive in their Irvine home during a police standoff on Wednesday afternoon.
Joy Benedict reports from Redondo Beach, where she introduces the walking book club that has turned audiobooks into a group activity, allowing them to multitask while still enjoying a mental escape into literature.
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.
