Human Trafficking Ring Crushed With 3 Arrested: San Jose Police

SAN JOSE, CA — Two Sacramento-area men and another from Indiana were arrested on suspicion of running a human trafficking operation before San Jose Police swooped in to rescue two adult female victims and one teenage girl, the department reported Thursday.

The San Jose Police Department’s Human Trafficking Task Force of its Sexual Assault Investigations Unit took into custody of the three men accused of using two women and a juvenile for the purpose of forced prostitution — one who detectives believe would have been indoctrinated into the illegal industry for life.

The suspects are identified as Christopher Lyon Johnson, 39 of Sacramento; Antoine Williams, 43, Merrillville, Ind.; and Curtis Lee Russell, 59, Natomas. The trio faces allegations of felony human trafficking and pimping, while kidnapping and pandering were added to Johnson's and Williams' list of accusations.

San Jose police indicated they located the suspects upon responding last Sunday at 7:42 p.m. to the Motel 6 located at 2560 Fontaine Rd. in San Jose. The 14 year-old survivor reported to a crisis text hotline (741741) that she was being held against her will and forced to engage in prostitution. Patrol officers and Special Operations Division officers went to the scene and located the survivor.

The preliminary investigation revealed the 14-year-old survivor was reported as a missing runaway from Flint, Michigan on Sept. 1, 2018, and went to Chicago, Illinois. A few days later, the survivor was kidnapped from Chicago and taken to Gary, Indiana. Eventually, she was taken to various cities throughout California where she was forced to engage in prostitution, police said.
Officers learned the second survivor was forced to engage in prostitution and the third survivor was being prepped for prostitution.

Detectives believe there may be additional survivors. Anyone with information about this case or others involving these suspects are asked to contact Detectives Gurbaksh Sohal or Sgt. Tony Ruelas of the San Jose Police Department’s Sexual Assault Investigations Unit-Human Trafficking Task Force at 408-277-4102 or email stopslavery@sanjoseca.gov. Those wishing to remain anonymous may either call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line, 408-947-STOP (7867), or click the "Submit a Tip" link below. Providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect may allow for eligibility of a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers.