Prostitution
Ring Discovered During Truancy Sweep
Police: Gangs Recruiting Young Girls To Prostitute
POSTED: 5:20 p.m. PST December 2, 2004
UPDATED: 6:07 p.m. PST December 2, 2004
Story by 10News.com
SAN DIEGO -- In an effort to stop truancy among middle school and high
school students, the San Diego Police Department and Child and Protective
Services joined forces to slow the growing trend of skipping school. However,
during the "truancy sweep," police made a disturbing discovery.
They found out that children were being recruited into gangs to be used
as prostitutes.
The girls, some only in middle school, were being targeted by predators
who want to recruit them into prostitution.
Officer Thomas Williams has been patrolling El Cajon Boulevard for almost
20 years. In recent times, he has noticed more young girls selling themselves
on the streets.
"I've seen some as young as 14 and 15 on the boulevard," Williams
said.
The people who deal with the child prostitution issue on a daily basis
said one group is responsible for recruiting more than half of the underage
prostitutes. It is a group known as "Pimp 'n Hoes Daily" or
PHD. They said some of their young recruits aren't even in high school
yet.
"I've met girls as young as 10," Williams said.
"I can drive down El Cajon Boulevard and tell you which ones are
working, even though 80 percent of them are under 18," said Kathi
Hardy, from Freedom From Exploitation, a teen prostitute task force.
Officers picked up 44 children in a truancy sweep in the City Heights
area.
Most were simply skipping school, but police worry the children will be
tempted into a life of crime and that girls will be targeted by groups
like PHD, which uses threats and promises of riches to coerce underage
girls into prostitution.
San Diego police Sgt. Juan Gonzales said, "Our detective unit currently
has an investigation working on that group."
Gonzales said San Diego police detectives are also working with Tijuana
police. Many of the girls recruited by PHD and other gangs are being taken
across the border and sold on the streets in Mexico.
"We need to bust up this organization that does nothing but prey
on innocence," said Hardy.
Last year, San Diego police contacted 184 underage girls who were suspected
of being involved in prostitution. The numbers for this year are not out
yet, but officers say the problem seems to be getting worse, not better.
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