Man and woman charged in Oakland teen sex trafficking

Image 1 of 2

Here's KTVU crime reporter Henry Lee's Rap Sheet blog for June 13, 2016:

CHARGES IN TEEN SEX TRAFFICKING CASE: A man and a woman been charged with forcing four teenage girls to work as prostitutes in Oakland.

Cedric Houseal, 21, and Brianna Miller, 22, both of Oakland have each been charged with four counts of kidnapping and four counts of sex trafficking.

The victims told police that they were forced to strip to their underwear and put on mini-dresses that Miller gave them, court records show. The girls were forced to work as prostitutes along San Pablo avenue in Oakland, authorities said.

When they refused, they were kidnapped and held against their will at an apartment at the corner of 65th and Herzog streets in North Oakland.

The girls were rescued by police after one of them was kidnapped Wednesday morning.

Police say Houseal pistol-whipped at least two of the girls. Both defendants are accused of taking the girls’ money and their cell phones so they couldn’t call for help.

Police say it's not unusual for women to be involved in sex trafficking.

"A female can use ruses or lure young children or young girls," said Officer Johnna Watson, an Oakland police spokeswoman. "There's the female connection, female to female connection, where they have different styles and operations,and they may not trust a man."

You can see Henry Lee daily on KTVU. If you have a tip for Henry, send an email to Henry.Lee@foxtv.com or contact him on Twitter