SANTA ANA, Calif. – A third-striker man and a woman are charged with human trafficking, pimping, and pandering a minor runaway girl after the man desensitized and groomed the victim by sexually assaulting her. They met the victim through an advertisement they placed on Craigslist. In case 16CF2706, Gilbert Antonio Castillo, 38, Mission Viejo, was charged on Oct. 20, 2016, with one felony count of human trafficking a minor, one felony count of pimping a minor, one felony count of pandering a minor over 16 by procuring, one felony count of contacting a child with intent to commit oral sex, one felony count of contacting a child with intent to commit sodomy, one felony count of oral copulation of a minor, one felony count of unlawful sexual intercourse, and one misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license with a prior. He also faces sentencing enhancements for two prior felony strike convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2000 in Yuma, Arizona, and two prior misdemeanor convictions for driving on a suspended license in 2014 in Los Angeles. If convicted, Castillo faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. He is being held on $500,000 bail and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond. Castillo is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Jan. 6, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana

Co-defendant Yolymar Ojeda-Gomez, 22, Irvine, was charged on Oct. 28, 2016, with one felony count of human trafficking a minor, one felony count of pimping a minor, and one felony count of pandering a minor over 16 by procuring in case 16CF2769. Ojeda-Gomez faces a maximum sentence of 12 years in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. She is out of custody after posting $70,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 28, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Circumstances of the Case

Castillo is accused of being a human trafficker/pimp and Ojeda-Gomez is accused of working with him and recruiting other women to prostitute for Castillo. In the pimp/prostitution subculture, pimps exploit women and/or children for financial gain and often assign ranks to the women they exploit. With the rise in popularity of social media and ease of meeting people on the internet, many pimps and human traffickers utilize a variety of social media to locate potential victims. Ojeda-Gomez is accused of being paid by Castillo when she found women and girls to work for them as prostitutes. 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 physical or emotional abuse.

In September 2016, Ojeda-Gomez is accused of contacting 17-year-old Jane Doe through an advertisement she posted on Craigslist. The defendant is accused of arranging for her to meet with Castillo, claiming they could help young women make money through modeling.

Between Oct. 2, 2016, and Oct. 18, 2016, Castillo is accused of meeting Jane Doe to commit sodomy and unlawfully engaging in oral and vaginal sex with the victim, knowing she was underage. The defendant is then accused of arranging for Jane Doe to meet with over a dozen sex purchasers and using money she received for his benefit. Castillo is accused of driving the victim to areas of Orange County known for prostitution while his driver's license was suspended.

On Oct. 16, 2016, Jane Doe's family member reported her missing in Costa Mesa. The victim's cell phone contained messages with her being pimped by Castillo, who is accused of directing her to meet with sex purchasers at various motels in Orange County. Castillo was identified by members of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF) as a suspect.

On Oct. 18, 2016, officers located Castillo and Jane Doe at a hotel in Lake Forest and arrested the defendant at the scene.

On Oct. 26, 2016, Ojeda-Gomez was located and arrested by OCHTTF near her home in Irvine.

The investigation is ongoing.

Members of the OCHTTF and the Orange County District Attorney's (OCDA) Office 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, Huntington Beach Police Department, 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 is prosecuting this case.

Proposition 35 and HEAT

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

*The man desensitized and groomed the victim by sexually assaulting her

Orange County District Attorney / Case # 16CF2706 & 16CF2769/ November 9, 2016