2 Hemet Residents Arrested On Human Trafficking Charges Involving Teen Girls

HEMET (CBSLA.com) — A pair of Riverside County residents have been arrested on human trafficking charges involving two teenage girls.

Dontae Wade, 33, and 30-year-old Precious Powers were taken into custody Wednesday at a home in the 1100 block of Rosalia Avenue in Hemet, officials with the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RCAHT) said.

The investigation into Wade and Powers began on May 12 when the RCAHT received information about the possible sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl.

Officials said the victim was recruited by the two suspects and was taken "to San Bernardino and Santa Ana, where she was compelled to perform sex acts for money on numerous occasions."

Authorities served a search warrant of the residence Wednesday and arrested the pair for felony human trafficking, pimping of a minor and conspiracy.

They were booked into the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

"Investigating officers present at the search warrant located an additional 18-year-old female who disclosed she began working as a prostitute for Wade and Powers when she was 17 years old," officials said.

Powers was being held on $25,000 bail and will appear in court Friday.

Booking information was not available for Wade.