A 53-year-old man from San Jose has been apprehended by the San Jose Police Department on suspicion of operating a brothel within the Julian-St. James neighborhood. The investigation was initiated in November after authorities received a tip regarding potential human trafficking activities at a residence located in the 200 block of North 16th Street. Office Tanya Hernandez, in a news release on Tuesday, confirmed that the primary suspect responsible for running the illicit establishment has been identified as the aforementioned 53-year-old man.
On April 19, law enforcement officials, with the assistance of the Special Operations Violent Crimes Enforcement Unit, Downtown Services Unit, and the FBI, arrested the suspect at his residence. Detectives also discovered substantial evidence indicating that the house was being utilized as a brothel, further supporting the allegations against the suspect. During the operation, two survivors of human trafficking were identified at the scene and provided with necessary resources to aid in their recovery.
The suspect has been taken into custody and subsequently booked into Santa Clara County jail on charges of pimping and pandering. The investigation remains ongoing, as stated by Officer Hernandez. Individuals with any information pertaining to this case are urged to contact Detective Sargon Badal of the SJPD Human Trafficking Task Force at 408-537-1224. Alternatively, tips can be anonymously submitted to Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 (STOP).
