Man sentenced 9 years after Camarillo sex-trafficking case

A man was sentenced to nine years in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after a sex trafficking incident in Camarillo, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

James Arthur Powell, 32, of Sacramento, had pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking a minor, pimping and pandering. In addition to the prison sentence, Powell will have to register as a sex offender.

The charges came from incidents on March 20, 2018. Camarillo deputies had been helping the Citrus Heights Police Department search for a runaway juvenile when authorities found a young adult woman and two female juveniles inside a hotel room.

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Through an investigation, authorities suspected women were being trafficked. Further investigation by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office found that Powell was trafficking the victims from Sacramento to Los Angeles and Ventura counties to engage in commercial sex activities. One of the women told investigators that Powell battered and threatened her, authorities said.

Jeremy Childs is a breaking news and public safety reporter covering the night shift for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached by calling 805-437-0208 or emailing jeremy.childs@vcstar.com.