Seattle police arrest man for sex trafficking 3 teenage girls

SEATTLE (AP) — Police say they've arrested a 30-year-old man for the sex trafficking of three teenage girls.


Seattle police said in a news release the man drove the girls -- ages 17, 16 and 15 -- in a van from Portland to Seattle Monday after making arrangements with someone he thought would pay to spend the night with one of the teens.

When they arrived at a designated Seattle hotel, detectives arrested him as part of a human trafficking investigation.

Seattle police began investigating the 30-year-old Monday after the 17-year-old girl -- who was reported missing in Seattle in mid-March -- contacted a friend and said she was with the 30-year-old. The friend contacted police, who in turn contacted SPD Vice/High-Risk Victims Unit. Detectives were able to contact the 30-year-old, who agreed to bring the teen to Seattle Monday.

Detectives say they found two other girls, ages 15 and 16, in the man's vehicle.

All of the girls were released to their families.

The man was booked into King County Jail on investigation of sexual exploitation of a child and a DUI warrant.