Hemet Residents Arrested on Suspicion of Human Trafficking

Two Hemet residents were arrested June 18 on suspicion of human trafficking and related charges in connection with the alleged sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl.

On May 12, the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force received information from Riverside County Child Protective Services regarding the case. The female victim and resident of Hemet, whose identity will not be disclosed due to her age, was recruited into prostitution by two adult suspects, police said. The suspects took the victim to San Bernardino and Santa Ana, where she was compelled to perform sex acts for money on numerous occasions.

Working in cooperation with the Hemet Police Department and the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service, police on June 18 served a residential search warrant in the 1100 block of Rosalia Avenue in Hemet. Two suspects were taken into custody and evidence related to the ongoing investigation was located.

Arrested for charges of human trafficking, pimping of a minor, and conspiracy were Dontae Lamar Wade, 33 (above left), and Precious Janinetternal Powers, 30 (below right). Wade and Powers were ultimately transported and booked into the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

Investigating officers present at the search warrant located an additional 18-year-old female who disclosed she began working as a prostitute for Wade and Powers when she was 17 years old.

The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force was formed in 2010 to address crimes involving the exploitation of victims via force, fraud, or coercion. These cases often involve the commercial sex trafficking of children, as well as incidents of forced labor, indentured servitude, debt bondage, or slavery.