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Long Beach Woman Admits to Forcing Teen into Prostitution
A disturbing case of sex trafficking has come to light in Long Beach, California. Sharilyn Kae Anderson, 46, has pleaded guilty to conspiring with her son, Joshua Jerome Davis, 23, to engage in sex trafficking.
According to court documents, Anderson and her son used force, threats of force, or coercion to force a 15-year-old runaway and an 18-year-old woman into prostitution. The victims were forced to engage in commercial sex at several hotels in Southern California and were transported across state lines to Nevada.
The investigation began in 2010, when Joshua Jerome Davis first communicated with the minor victim on Facebook. The minor victim was 14 at the time and was later rescued by investigators in August 2013, outside a residence leased by Davis in North Las Vegas.
Anderson helped facilitate the prostitution scheme by booking hotel rooms and transporting the victims to hotels to engage in prostitution when her son was unavailable. She also threatened the adult victim to intimidate her into continuing to make money for her son by prostituting.
Anderson and her son each pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder, who is scheduled to sentence Anderson on May 18 and Davis on May 4. The case is the product of an investigation by the Long Beach Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
The guilty plea comes as a relief to the victims and their families, who have been through a traumatic ordeal. The case highlights the need for increased awareness and education about the dangers of sex trafficking and the importance of reporting suspicious activity to the authorities.
Sharilyn Kae Anderson faces a potential penalty of life in federal prison for her role in the sex trafficking conspiracy. Her son, Joshua Jerome Davis, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years for sex trafficking of a child by force, and a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years for sex trafficking of an adult by force, threats of force, or coercion, or any combination of these means.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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