Chino is a city of roughly 93,0000 residents located in the western end of San Bernardino, CA, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino is adjacent to Chino Hills and Yorba Linda. Prostitution and sex trafficking activity have been well-documented in the city, surrounding communities, and in unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County. This activity and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates results in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses. Among the more serious crimes associated with the local commercial sex market is sex trafficking. For example, in 2017, members of the San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task Force began surveillance of a commercial medical building in the City of Chino. Investigators discovered that there were multiple ads on “Backpage.com,” advertising for prostitution at this location, in addition to observing a high volume of males going to and from the business. After further investigation, it was established that victims were being sex trafficked inside the building. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the location, served the warrant and rescued two sex trafficking victims inside the location. Two suspects that were believed to be at the location as sex buyers were also detained, and later released pending further investigation. An additional man found inside the building was determined to be the primary suspect in sex trafficking the victims. The offender was transported to West Valley Detention Center where he was booked in on charges of felony pimping and pandering. He was held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Consumer level demand provides the revenue stream for all prostitution and sex trafficking, and has therefore been targeted by local law enforcement agencies (as well as collaborating state and federal agencies) as a strategy for prevention and response. For example, the San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task Force in combined effort with the Chino Hills Police Department, conducted a web-based reverse sting in September of 2018, to identify and apprehend local sex buyers driving the prostitution and sex trafficking markets. During the operation, undercover officers were deployed at a local motel to pose as prostitutes through on-line advertisements. As a result, the officers were contacted and solicited for acts of prostitution by several male suspects. Upon their arrival at the location, the suspects were taken into custody. After being interviewed and processed, all twenty-one suspects were transported and booked at West Valley Detention Center, for violation of PC 647(b)(2)-(Sex Buyer) Solicitation for Prostitution. The name of the hotel was not released by police, nor were the names, cities of residences or ages of those arrested.

Identity disclosure and loss of employment are also consequences of buying sex in the city. For example, in 2019, a sex trafficking investigation led to the arrest of a former Chino police officer on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. The sex trafficking investigation began in January of 2019, when officers served a search warrant at a home in Roseville, CA. At the home, officers found a 16-year-old sex trafficking victim in addition to the man suspected of sex trafficking the girl. The man was arrested and charged with sex trafficking/pimping and was being held at the South Placer Jail on a $1 million bail. According to a Roseville police spokesperson,

“During the investigative process, it led us down to the city of Chino and the City of Redlands, where we ultimately found that someone down there. A sergeant connected with the Chino Police Department was involved as far as a ‘John’ in this human trafficking prostitution setup that Mr. Harrison was running.”

Investigators found that sex trafficker had set up a date with the former officer while he was off-duty at a home in Redlands, CA. As a result of his arrest, the Chino Police Department immediately placed the former officer on paid administrative leave pending criminal and administrative investigations. Chino police reported that the former officer was fired sometime later in 2019, although the exact date was not released. According to court documents, the former 16-year veteran of the Chino Police Department, pleaded guilty to a felony violation of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and agreed to serve three years of supervised formal felony probation. The felony conviction precludes the offender from ever holding the title of police officer again. Both of the offenders’ identities were included in news reports. The investigation was led by the Roseville Police Department with assistance from the Chino Police Department and the Redlands Police Department.