Human Trafficking Tip Line Call Leads to Pimping and Pandering Charges

Acting on a tip to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, law enforcement members of the Tulare County Human Trafficking Task Force discovered and criminally charged a prostitution operation in the south county.

“A good Samaritan, armed with the knowledge of how human trafficking can work and the resources available to him to report it, made the right call,” said Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward. “This is exactly why we created the Tulare County Human Trafficking Task Force in 2014 and have dedicated extensive time and energy on shining a light on this type of crime. I am also incredibly encouraged that the people who live and work in our county are taking to heart public awareness campaigns, literature, town halls, and a host of other means of outreach to recognize the possibility of trafficking.”

In May 2024, a caller to the hotline reported that while seeking a legitimate massage service in Tulare County, he found a Facebook Marketplace ad for a local massage business in Tipton. When he called for an appointment, he quickly learned that the business was not legitimate and reported it to the hotline.

The tip was referred to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office via the Tulare County Human Trafficking Task Force, and investigators began quickly working the case. Over the next several months, investigators employed multiple investigative resources, authored numerous search warrants for phone records and GPS tracking devices and worked in collaboration with both state and federal authorities including the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department, Fresno Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the California Department of Justice and the Tulare Police Department.

The investigation culminated in the execution of simultaneous search warrants in both Tulare and Fresno Counties which resulted in the arrest of siblings Enrique Castro Reyes, 27, and Erika Castro Reyes, 30. The pair were arrested by TCDA Investigators without incident on August 19, 2024, and charged by TCDA prosecutors the same day with felony pandering by encouragement and pimping. Both remain in custody. A preliminary hearing setting is scheduled for September 30, 2024, in Tulare County Superior Court.

Human trafficking is a crime that hides in plain sight. Learn the signs of labor and sex trafficking at www.tulareda.org/human-trafficking and report any suspicions to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Communications Director Stuart Anderson (559) 636-5494