SAN DIEGO: Pimp gets 12 years for forcing underage girls into prostitution

(CNS) – A San Diego man who made thousands of dollars forcing
underage girls into prostitution using Internet ads was sentenced in federal
court Monday to 12 years in prison.

Carlos Alberto Garcia, 20, pleaded guilty in August to sex trafficking
of children.

The case began as a result of investigations by San Diego police vice
detectives in November 2011 and January 2012.

Detectives searched online advertisements for escorts and discovered the
underage girls working as prostitutes. Garcia was eventually identified as
their pimp.

One of the girls, age 17, described Garcia as “ruthless” and “crazy”
and said he physically assaulted her for hiding $300.

According to court documents, Garcia beat the girl, stripped her, forced
her into a cold shower, poured ice on her, and made her stand in front of an
air conditioner.

Garcia then took the girl to the Fashion Valley Mall and, using the
money she'd earned from prostitution, bought himself $685 sneakers at the Gucci
store, according to court records.

Authorities said human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal
industry in the world, second only to drug trafficking on the list of the
biggest and most lucrative illicit enterprises.

In the Southern District of California, which includes San Diego and
Imperial counties, the U.S. Attorney's Office has seen a 600 percent increase
in human trafficking cases in the last five years, mostly involving the sex
trafficking of children.