SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Los Angeles felon was sentenced to 16 years in state prison yesterday for pimping and threatening victims, then leading police on a foot pursuit through back yards in Stanton after crashing his car. Delane Williams, 42, Sun Valley, pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2017, to one felony count each of pimping, criminal threats, evading while driving recklessly, pandering, and attempted pimping, one misdemeanor count each of resisting and obstructing a police officer, aggravated trespassing, destroying or concealing evidence, and violation of a protective order, and sentencing enhancements for prior felony convictions.

Circumstances of the Case

Williams is a pimp who exploits women for financial gain. Pimps often establish rigid rules that their victims are expected to follow including requiring victims to speak only when spoken to, address the pimp as “Sir” or “Daddy,” and setting daily quotas that the victims are expected to fulfill. The victims are often required to turn over all payment they receive for sex acts from sex purchasers to their pimp. Failure to follow these rules can result in deprivation of food and/or physical and emotional abuse.

On Jan. 6, 2015, Williams met 20-year-old Jane Doe 1 in Los Angeles and said he would drive her to a storage unit that contained her belongings. The defendant instead drove her to areas of Orange County known for human trafficking and prostitution. Williams booked a motel room in Anaheim and demanded the victim pay him for the car rides and food by soliciting commercial sex and giving him all money she received from sex purchasers.

Williams gave the victim condoms and threatened her to get in the car when a man solicited her. Jane Doe 1 fought off the sex purchaser and escaped from his car in Stanton. She immediately called 911 and members of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF) responded to the scene. The man has not yet been identified. Williams was identified, but officers were unable to locate him.

Between Feb. 1, 2016, and May 31, 2016, Williams pimped Jane Doe 2 in areas of Orange County known for human trafficking and prostitution.

On May 31, 2016, members of the OCHTTF observed Williams picking Jane Doe 2 up in Stanton. The defendant initiated a high speed chase and crashed into a tree while attempting to evade officers. Williams threatened to kill Jane Doe 2 before fleeing on foot.

Williams threw his cell phone to the ground as he ran in order to conceal evidence. The defendant ran through yards in a Stanton neighborhood and hid in a garage. The homeowner confronted the defendant with a firearm, and Williams threw cash at the homeowner and told him not to call the police. The defendant fled from the garage and hid in another back yard, where he was located and arrested by members of the OCHTTF.

A court issued a protective order prohibiting the defendant from communicating with Jane Doe 2. Between June 3, 2016, and June 4, 2016, Williams called a family member from county jail and instructed them to contact Jane Doe 2 in violation of the restraining order.

Members of the OCHTTF and the Orange County District Attorney's Office (OCDA) work proactively to protect women and minors from falling victim to commercial sexual exploitation. This case was investigated by OCHTTF, a partnership between Anaheim Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Costa Mesa Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Irvine Police Department, Newport Beach Police Department, OCDA, Orange County Sheriff's Department, Santa Ana Police Department, and community and non-profit partners.

Deputy District Attorney Bryan Clavecilla of the HEAT Unit prosecuted this case.

Proposition 35 and HEAT

To read more about California's anti-human trafficking Proposition 35 (Prop 35) and the OCDA's Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit, please visit www.orangecountyda.org and select Human Trafficking Information from the Media Center drop down menu.

Orange County District Attorney / Case # 16NF2500 & 16NF1632 / February 07, 2017