On 03-16-2014, South San Francisco Police Officers conducted a prostitution sting operation at a local hotel on East Grand Avenue in South San Francisco. During the operation, officers made a “date” with an escort who was soliciting for prostitution on a prostitution based internet website. After making the “date” officers were directed by the escort to her room at the hotel. Officers responded to the room and subsequently contacted a 17 year-old female juvenile and an 18-year old female adult inside, along with evidence of a prostitution operation. Evidence linking the registered guest of the room , 24 year-old Michael Pierce out of Citrus Heights, to the commercial sex operation was also uncovered during the investigation. However, Pierce was not immediately located on the hotel premises or in the room with the female escorts.
A short time later, Pierce was contacted during a traffic stop in the area of East Grand Avenue as he was attempting to leave the area. Pierce was arrested and later booked at the San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City on human trafficking, pimping and pandering charges and is being held on $500,000 bail.
Part of the investigation revealed Pierce would contact females on various social networking sites, befriend them, and then convince them to prostitute themselves for his financial benefit.
The juvenile female was determined to be a missing person out of Santa Clara County. The juvenile had walked away from a Children’s Shelter and at the time was considered at risk as a commercially sexually exploited minor.
The identities and disposition of the females are not being released at this time as the investigation is ongoing.
If you suspect an incident of human trafficking in South San Francisco please notify the South San Francisco Police Department at 650-877-8900 or the National Human Trafficking hotline at 888-373 -7888.