The Long Beach Police Department has arrested two adults for trafficking three missing minors for prostitution, according to a Friday, Aug. 4 press release by LBPD.
The minors are 15, 16 and 17 and were reported missing from Long Beach, San Bernardino and Hemet.
The children were being trafficked by 32-year-old Brandon Ruff of Carson, charged on Aug. 28, 2020 with three counts of False Imprisonment and Human Trafficking, and 21 year old Dezere Romero of San Bernardino, arrested on Sept. 3. Ruff’s bail has been set at $450,000 and Romero’s bail is $470,000.
Detectives initiated the investigation after becoming aware of the prostition of a minor near the 100 block of 28th Street. After arranging to meet with the minor indoors, police received consent to search her phone and found evidence of two more underage victims. The two additional victims were recovered on Aug. 14 and Aug. 16. One of the victims may have been trafficked across state lines at some point.
The victims are receiving services from Los Angeles County First Responder Protocol for Sexually Exploited Children. LBPD is part of the Commercially Sexually Exploited Child Task Force formed in 2013 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
