OAKLAND — A Sacramento County man has been arrested and charged with human trafficking in a case that started when a 16-year-old girl solicited an undercover officer in an area known for prostitution, court records show.
Deondre Smith-King, 29, has been charged with human trafficking of a minor and two counts of pimping, all felonies. The case covers a three-month span, because of a delay that allowed Smith-King to further victimize the girl, according to court records.
Undercover officers detained the girl in a prostitution sting back in August, seizing her phone and ultimately finding evidence that she was transferring prostitution proceeds to Smith-King, according to court records. But Smith-King was not charged until earlier this month, and during the interim period, he was able to make contact with the girl, take her back to Oakland and traffic her further, authorities said.
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During a police interview after his arrest this month, Smith-King allegedly admitted to knowing the girl’s true age and said the two had rented a hotel room in Oakland. That correlates with what police observed during a surveillance operation on Oct. 29, when police saw Smith-King and the girl entering a hotel room, according to court records.
But he was not arrested and charged until Nov. 12, and authorities haven’t explained what caused the delay.
Smith-King is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, in lieu of $355,000 bail.
Oakland police have ramped up undercover efforts on International Boulevard and other areas known for prostitution, in response to violence involving suspected human traffickers, sex workers or clientele.
