SLO County sheriff searches for man who allegedly trafficked missing Nevada teen
After the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office caught and released a man suspected of trafficking a missing 15-year-old Nevada girl, the agency says it is now obtaining a warrant for his arrest.
According to a news release Thursday, investigators from the San Luis Obispo County Counter Human Trafficking Team “were answering online sex ads as part of the statewide effort to curb human sex trafficking under the umbrella of Operation Reclaim and Rebuild.”
According to the release, detectives answered an ad featuring a girl who appeared to be under the age of 18.
The detectives arranged a date with the girl and detained her, according to the release. An investigation determined she was a missing at-risk 15-year-old from Nevada.
Investigators identified an unnamed male subject in the area they believed to have possibly trafficked the girl, the Sheriff’s Office said. The man allegedly attempted to flee but was detained.
At the time, the Sheriff’s Office said, it did not have probable cause for the man’s arrest so he was released — but a subsequent investigation reportedly revealed evidence he was trafficking the teen.
The Sheriff’s Office said it is seeking a warrant and the filing of criminal charges against the man.
Victim services were provided to the teen girl by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office’s Victim Witness Assistance Center, according to the release.
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