Apple Valley Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of Minors

VICTORVILLE-(VVNG.com): A 22-year-old Apple Valley man was sentenced to 14 years and 8 months in state prison for sex trafficking of minors and will be subject to lifetime sex offender registration. Huey Reliford was initially contacted in a motel room in May 2014, where he was in the presence of two juvenile female runaways. Neither of the juveniles would divulge the nature of their relationship with the defendant.

The San Bernardino Human Trafficking Task Force took over the investigation. During the course of the investigation, records were obtained that provided the information needed in order file the case in December 2014.  The information collected provided the prosecution with the details needed to establish both the nature and the extent of the defendants criminal activity involving the minor victims.

According to Deputy District Attorney Melissa Rodriguez, both of the victims testified at trial and denied any wrongdoing on behalf of the defendant. “This just goes to show the extent of the manipulation that the defendant was able to accomplish with these young girls,” said Rodriguez. “Fortunately, the jury was able to see through that, and convicted the defendant on all counts.”

The jury found Reliford guilty last month of two counts of Human Trafficking of a Minor for a Sex Act, two counts of Pimping a Minor 16 years of Age or Older, one count of Pandering by Procuring a Minor over Age 16, one count of Pandering By Procuring a Minor Under Age 16, and one count of Pimping a Minor Under 16 Years of Age.

This case was investigated by the Hesperia Police Department and the San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is a collaborative partnership of investigators from the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

“Thanks to the strong partnership we have with the Sheriff and our dedicated attorneys, we will continue to prosecute those who take advantage of our young victims,” District Attorney Mike Ramos said. “The trafficking of minors is a despicable act and if you are caught and convicted in San Bernardino County, you will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”