POMONA, Ca. – A 37-year-old Hesperia man was sentenced to over 100 years in prison for kidnapping and pimping a 15-year-old girl.
On August 25, 2017, Pomona Police assigned to the Major Crimes Task Force were conducting anti-human trafficking enforcement along the Holt Ave. Corridor when they noticed suspicious activity. John Morgan, 37, of Hesperia, was found to be transporting and supervising the teen he had prostituting for him. Both parties were detained as they sat in Morgan’s vehicle. Morgan was arrested for trafficking the minor female and was booked into jail.
The 15-year-old girl said that Morgan took her to Pomona against her will to commit acts of prostituation for him. As he watched the girl as she worked in the Pomona area, he threatened to kill her if she did not earn money for him working as a prostitute. The victim was interviewed and subsequently returned to her family. The teen testified in court how he manipulated and threatened her with violence in order to get her to prostitute for him. On August 9, 2019, Morgan was found guilty of Human Trafficking of a Minor, Kidnapping, Lewd and Lascivious Acts on a Child Under 14 or 15 years of age, Unlawful Sexual Intercourse, and Dissuading a Witness by Force or Threat.
Morgan was sentenced to more than 100 years to life in prison as a result of his conviction on January 17, 2020.
The Pomona Police Department takes a zero tolerance approach to the crime of human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of juveniles. Investigators believe there are other unidentified victims related to this case and urge anyone with information related to this investigation to contact the Pomona Police Department at (909) 620-2085. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).
