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A Sacramento couple arrested Sunday after a 17-year-old girl reported to police they had driven her to San Bruno to meet with someone for sex is facing more than 12 years to life in prison on felony charges of human trafficking as well as pimping and pandering a minor, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Taroy Ireland, 26, and his girlfriend and mother of his child, Ieshea Lucetia Lewis, 27, were taken to jail after an investigation into the girl’s account led police officers to their nearby vehicle, according to police and prosecutors.
After they received a call from a female saying she was trying to get away from someone, police responded at 12:03 a.m. to an area near Huntington Avenue and Herman Street, according to police.
Officers arrived to find the girl wearing a tank top and a short black dress, who said she met Ireland at a house party in December and that he got her involved in prostitution knowing she was under 18, said prosecutors.
The victim, who is not a resident of San Mateo County, said Ireland picked her up April 20 and took her to Hippie Hill in San Francisco before allegedly driving her to San Jose for prostitution jobs, directing her to give him the money she made afterwards, according to prosecutors.
Then he allegedly took the victim to Sacramento where he introduced her to Lewis, who allegedly gave her cocaine, according to prosecutors.
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The victim described a set of rules Ireland established for working with him and said he yelled at her and warned her she better not cooperate with police or it would be very bad for her. She said he directed her to put up online ads with her photos and allowed her to choose which customers she wanted to visit so he could drive her to them, according to prosecutors.
When police did an online search, they found ads with her photos as she described. Lewis is believed to have called the victim on the phone to tell her where to go and what to do, according to prosecutors.
Both Ireland and Lewis have been charged with three felony counts, including pimping a minor, pandering a minor and human trafficking, and Ireland is also charged with dissuading a witness. Ireland faces 15 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 for his charges, while Lewis could be sentenced to 12 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 if convicted of her charges, according to prosecutors.
The county’s private defender program was appointed when Ireland and Lewis appeared in court Tuesday and they will next appear in court April 26 for entry of plea. Ireland and Lewis are both in custody on $575,000 and $500,000 bail, respectively, according to prosecutors.
Anyone with information related to the case is urged to call San Bruno police at (650) 616-7100 or email them at sbpdtipline@sanbruno.ca.gov. Information can be left anonymously.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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