San Luis Obispo man arrested for human trafficking

May 30, 2014
Douglas Stephens

Douglas Stephens

San Luis Obispo police arrested nine people for various prostitution related offenses including human trafficking on Thursday.

Officers conducted a one night sting operation at a San Luis Obispo motel. According to a press release, the goal of the operation was to arrest prostitutes and johns with the intent of shining a light on the hazards of solicitation of prostitution.

Officers arrested Douglas J. Stephens, 20, of San Luis Obispo for felony human trafficking of a 16-year-old female and pimping a minor. He was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail with bail set at $45,000.

Police arrested the 16-year-old female from San Luis Obispo for prostitution and resisting arrest.

After police attempted to arrest the juvenile, she ran to a vehicle Stephens was in and warned him that law enforcement was present before she fled the scene. As Stephens was preparing to drive away, officers successfully detained him and then found the 16-year-old. She was later booked into the San Luis Obispo County Juvenile Services Center.

Police also arrested David King, 52, of Oceano, Harry Choate, 32, of Paso Robles, Crescensio Hernandez-Villar, 44, of San Luis Obispo for solicitation of prostitution. The following five women were arrested for prostitution: Depeche Lewallen, 22, of San Luis Obispo, Tyeshisa Orr, 26, of Sacramento, Mellisa Amey, 23, of Madera, and Shuante Madden, 25, of Fresno.


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Another business for the happiest place to be. I hope that the city was able to collect their bed tax and keep their benefit packages up to date.


Only at CCN can you get a scurrilous arrest report twisted into an anti-government rant by the first commenter. Did the worker a few years back slur his words too?


For many many years I have wandered about What or where the harm, detriment, and danger to a well regulated legalized prostitution.

Why is it so criminal to pay for something quite natural?

Any realistic comments?


Shouldn’t that fall under “Reproductive Rights” as well? The right for a women to have the say so over her body should include the right to rent it when she chooses, right? Opponents say that by legalizing prostitution you would also legalize and condone pimping and trafficking, that by opening legalize brothels you’d only be moving the abuse inside and out of the view of everyone and ultimately it’s still a form a male sexual violence against women.


I don’t know, but in a time that we are seeing that the war on drugs is an abysmal failure I wonder if the same can be said about prostitution? Wouldn’t our law enforcement dollars be better spent going after the rapists, murderers and robbers then someone trying to make a living that is consensual, or the person paying his or her wage?


The crime should not be against a woman or man who chooses to rent their body to another person. The crime is when one person forces another into selling their body. Pimps should be severely punished just as anyone who exerts unwanted force against another, whether it be physical, financial or emotional.


I remember a few years back they arrested a City employee for getting a little something on the side that he had to pay for. Also, he was in a City uniform and on City time. Great example of another Public Works employee “getting a little something on the side” like that guy who was scamming residents into paying for services that the City paid him form.


Don’t we have a couple of County Supervisors who are doing the same thing?


in your fetid imagination