5 men arrested during undercover prostitution operation

ESCONDIDO (KUSI) – The Escondido Police Department arrested five men after they were found working in a prostitution operating targeting individuals soliciting women for the purpose of prostitution. 

The operation was located in the center portion of the City of Escondido.

As a result of this enforcement effort, 5 men approached the undercover personnel and made arrangements to trade money for sex acts. 

These men went to an agreed location where they were contacted and arrested by uniformed law enforcement officers for the violation of California Penal Code section 647(b) (soliciting or agreeing to participate in any act of prostitution); a misdemeanor violation.  

Prostitution is not a victimless crime. 

This illicit activity, like many others, has evolved and now mostly includes young women who are coerced, or otherwise compelled, to participate in the activity. 

Many of the young women are forced to use highly addictive drugs, suffer physical beatings, and are often gang-raped as their initiation into this modern form of slave-labor.

Much of this activity occurs at the direction of criminal gangs or organized crime. These criminal groups see women as a re-usable commodity that generates substantial income and requires little to no risk for the true suspects who ultimately profit from the activity.

The Escondido Police Department is increasing enforcement efforts focusing on a variety of crimes which are encompassed in human trafficking, and all persons contacted and arrested for violations of state law will be prosecuted to the fullest extent available under the laws applicable to each circumstance.