SAN FRANCISCO—On June 7, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office announced that Kriz Mike Nunez, 19, of San Francisco was arrested and charged with numerous counts of human trafficking, pimping and pandering of a minor, and possession for sale of narcotics.

“Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery that dehumanizes those who cannot escape their circumstances,” said District Attorney George Gascón. “Being able to tackle these cases requires prioritizing them and dedicating the resources that are needed to investigate them as the organized crimes that they are.”

According to press release from the SFDA’s Office, court records indicate on February 15, the Crime Strategies Unit (CSU) of the SFDA’s Office, the Special Victims Unit (SVU) of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), and a federal agency led a human trafficking operation. The group performed internet searches on Backpage.com, a website service that law enforcement agencies are aware has been used to facilitate commercial sex trafficking.

During the operation, an SFPD officer spotted an advertisement on Backpage.com with a photograph of a female who appeared to be a juvenile. An SFPD Inspector responded to the advertisement, inquiring if she was available for an “outcall date.” The inspector received a reply that she was for a $260.00 “donation,” the fee for a “date” to provide sexual services. Upon agreeing to a “donation” amount, a meeting was set-up at a hotel in downtown San Francisco.

The victim, who was later discovered to be a 17-year-old female, arrived at the hotel and proceeded to a room. Once inside, an officer conducted an analysis of her phone and determined that she was likely the victim of human trafficking by Nunez. During the same time, security at the hotel observed a suspicious individual believed to be Nunez.

The SFPD, CSU of the SFDA’s Office, and a federal agency worked in tandem to build a case against Nunez. Their investigation produced an extensive number of search warrants and yielded evidence implicating him in the instant offenses, as well as in the possible trafficking of other victim(s) in the Bay Area and out of state.

On April 19, a team of many law enforcement officers from the SFDA’s Office, SFPD, and federal agency arrested Nunez during the service of a search and arrest warrant. During the execution of the warrant, law enforcement seized drugs, money, cellphones, a handgun, and other items.

Nunez was charged with human trafficking, multiple counts of human trafficking of a minor, multiple counts of pimping a minor over the age of 16, multiple counts of pandering a minor 16 years of age or older, and numerous counts of possession for sale of narcotics.

Anyone with details related to this investigation, or the other potential victim of human trafficking is asked to contact the District Attorney’s Office at (415) 553-1674 and the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 575-4444.