Daisy Pollard-Gilliam, Reuben Gilliam, Sex Trafficking, California 2023

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - In a shocking case of exploitation, a Compton mother and son have been indicted for allegedly forcing two 13-year-old victims to engage in commercial sex acts.

Daisy Pollard-Gilliam, 41, and her son Reuben Gilliam, 24, have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor and two counts of sex trafficking of a minor. Reuben Gilliam also faces charges of production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. Daisy Pollard-Gilliam has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to court documents, the victims were walking down a street in Bell Gardens at approximately 2 a.m. on June 3, 2023, when a vehicle containing Reuben Gilliam and two other men stopped next to them. One of the men exited the vehicle and told the minor victims to get in. The victims were then driven to a residence in Lynwood.

Throughout the next week, both victims were required to engage in sexual activity with Reuben Gilliam, Daisy Pollard-Gilliam, and unidentified commercial sex customers to make money, the indictment alleges. The customers told one victim that they paid $100 to have sexual intercourse with her and the defendants collected the cash after the customer had sex with the victims, according to court documents.

The defendants allegedly also directed the victims to dress in lingerie and pose for pictures to be used to advertise commercial sex. After spending a few nights at the Lynwood residence, the defendants allegedly saw missing children's flyers in circulation on social media - identifying both victims as 13 years old - seeking the minor victims' whereabouts. The victims were then transferred to different locations in Los Angeles County.

On the evening of June 9, 2023, law enforcement officials rescued the victims from a recreational vehicle in Gardena. Among the items law enforcement seized during the rescue were clothing, shoes, eyewear, and one cellphone that the suspects allegedly gave the victims so they could call the suspects if they were in trouble. The victims allegedly used the cellphone to text and call Daisy Pollard-Gilliam on multiple occasions.

Daisy Pollard-Gilliam was arrested on April 24, 2024, and a federal magistrate judge ordered her jailed without bond. Her arraignment is scheduled for May 14 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Reuben Gilliam is currently in state custody on unrelated charges and is expected to be transferred over to federal custody in the coming weeks.

Reuben Gilliam's Instagram account revealed that on June 4, 2023, he communicated with other Instagram users regarding his commercial sex trafficking of the two victims, according to court documents. In April 2024, Pollard-Gilliam allegedly possessed a semi-automatic pistol and 25 rounds of ammunition. She is permitted to possess neither because of her felony conviction in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2021 for child abandonment.

Defendant: Daisy Pollard-Gilliam and Reuben Gilliam

Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking of a minor, production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition

City and State: Los Angeles, California

Date: June 3, 2023, and April 24, 2024

Sentence: If convicted, the defendants would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/compton-mother-and-son-indicted-allegedly-forcing-two-13-year-old-victims-engage