4 capital kids recovered in child prostitution ring

Four children were recovered and two alleged pimps were arrested in Sacramento as part of a recent nationwide child trafficking and prostitution sting.

The five-day effort, dubbed "Operation Cross Country," was conducted by the FBI and local law enforcement in 16 cities across the country. The operation, which concluded Saturday, netted 389 arrests and 21 children recovered, according to the FBI.

Sacramento, Oakland and Los Angeles were the only participating California cities.

The cities involved in the sting operation were not necessarily the worst ones in the country in terms of child trafficking and prostitution, but had the resources and task forces available to participate, said Jason Pack, supervising special agent for the FBI's national press office in Washington, D.C.

The recent investigation shed light on the growing number of child prostitutes, a disturbing trend Sacramento authorities say is thriving here.

Sacramento police Sgt. Pam Seyffert estimated there are hundreds of children working as prostitutes in the city, some as young as 12.

The Sacramento task force - composed of Sacramento police and an FBI agent - has detained 46 children since it began focusing on child prostitution about a year and a half ago, she said.

The task force is part of Innocence Lost, a national initiative designed to combat child prostitution. This is the fifth year the program has conducted a nationwide sting operation.

Since the program's inception in 2003, 433 child victims have been recovered and 308 people have been arrested on state and federal charges, according to FBI officials.

"Human trafficking is occurring in people's backyard," Seyffert said. "Although it does happen mostly in lower economic classes, we have seen it in families that have plenty of money. It's affecting everyone."

Arrested during last week's sting were two men who authorities allege are exploiting young girls.

Michael Slay, a.k.a. "Koolaid," 21, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of acting in concert, aiding or abetting in the commission of a sexual assault and two counts of sexual intercourse with a minor under 16, according to online Sacramento County jail information.

Tuwan Smith, 28, also was arrested on suspicion of two counts of acting in concert, aiding or abetting in the commission of a sexual assault and two counts of sexual intercourse with a minor under 16, online jail records show.

The men are being held in lieu of $1 million bail each. They are scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Sacramento Superior Court.

The four girls, who range in age from 12 to 16, were found in various areas of the city, said Steve Dupre, spokesman for the FBI's Sacramento field office.

The Sacramento task force employs various techniques to locate child prostitutes - including perusing Craigslist, which child prostitutes in Sacramento have been known to use - which is why Sacramento's numbers during the operation seem high compared with other cities, Dupre explained.

Oakland had four children recovered and 12 adults arrested. Los Angeles had five arrests and no children recovered.

"This national coordinated effort was no different than what we do every week," he said. "We tied with Oakland. It's a testament to what these agents and detectives do."

The Sacramento girls were placed in various situations to keep them safe and off the street, but one has already fled placement, a typical - and unfortunate - problem with child prostitutes, officials said.

Authorities commonly use arrest as a last resort because it's contrary to their view that child prostitutes are victims and breaks down the trust investigators rely upon to further track down prostitution rings and organizers.

"Our biggest hurdle is keeping these kids out (of prostitution) once we locate them," Seyffert said.

Compounding the problem is a lack of safe havens for child prostitutes, which also leads to a low rate of children who successfully leave prostitution behind.

Many child prostitutes come from broken homes or are runaways, and a majority are sexually abused, authorities say.

"Once they're into it, it's very easy to go back because it's what they know," she said. "Most are running from a home they consider worse than the street."

Trying to change that is Jenny Williamson, a Sacramento resident who is working on opening a safe home for children who leave prostitution.

Williamson is trying to obtain grant and private funding for the home, which would be a long-term living facility with counseling and, above all, compassion.

"Our purpose is to create a home, not a shelter, not a temporary situation," she said. "These girls need to be rescued ... We want to give them a home, to love them, to bring meaning to their lives. What every child deserves."

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• The Bee's Niesha Lofing can be reached at (916) 321-1270