Clearlake men arrested in human trafficking and prostitution case
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Two Clearlake men were arrested this week following a six-month investigation conducted by the Lake County District Attorney’s Office that focused on a human trafficking for prostitution operation.
Timothy Lee Williams, 52, was arrested for four counts of human trafficking, one count of pimping and a parole violation, and 38-year-old Nicholas Troy Brooks was arrested for human trafficking for prostitution, pimping, procuring a person for prostitution, inflicting traumatic injury on a person, threats to kill or produce great bodily injury and solicitation of perjury, according to District Attorney Don Anderson.
As part of the sting operation in Clearlake Oaks, on Thursday District Attorney’s Office investigators rented a room at a local motel and ordered a woman, whose name is not being released at this time, from an Internet service, according to Anderson.
Investigators had prior knowledge that the woman was working for Williams and possibly not of her free will, Anderson said.
Anderson said that when the woman arrived at the motel she agreed to have sex with two men, not knowing they were undercover agents, for a sum of $200 per hour.
She had been driven there by Williams who waited in the car while the woman was supposed to be transacting business, Anderson said.
Once the deal was made, District Attorney’s Office investigators – with the assistance of undercover agents from the Mendocino Task Force and officers from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Clearlake Police Department – arrested Williams, Anderson said.
Further investigation revealed that the woman was not selling herself of her own free will, but was doing so under force and fear of Williams. Due to the fact she was forced into prostitution, Anderson said she is being treated as a victim rather than a suspect of prostitution.
On Friday, as part of the same investigation, Anderson said his investigators arrested Brooks at the Lake County Jail, where he was being held on charges of transportation of controlled substances and possession of a stolen vehicle.
In both cases involving Williams and Brooks, Anderson said five of the women interviewed were forced into prostitution out of fear of being harmed and in some cases were actually beaten by the suspects. In one case, a developmental disabled young adult was forced into prostitution by Williams.
Brooks is being held on $1 million bail, while Williams is on a no-bail hold, according to jail booking records. Both men are scheduled to appear in court for arraignment next week.
Anderson said both Williams and Brooks have a history of pimping and pandering. If convicted both Williams and Brooks could be facing life sentences.
“Human trafficking is the fasted growing crime in the United States and California,” Anderson said. “It is estimated that human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar operation throughout the country. Often time the victims are minors and/or immigrants from other countries.”
He said that his office treats the cases as extremely serious. “We will make every effort to free these victims from those who force them into prostitution against their will and help give them a new start in life. It is anticipated as the investigation develops, further victims and suspects will be identified.”