FRESNO, CA (KMJ) — A man was arrested on Friday following a month-long human trafficking investigation.
It started February 1 when the Fresno Police Department was called to Belmont Ave. and Broadway St. to check the welfare of a 28-year-old woman.
Police believed the woman may be a victim of human trafficking.
The Fresno Police Departments Vice Unit took over the investigation and learned the woman was contacted by 26-year-old Bryan Anthony Scott through social media.
Scott convinced her to travel to Fresno from Texas and promised to support her financially but once she got here, she was forced into prostitution, according to police.
Police say Scott trafficked her for sex in the Bay Area, Central Coast region, and Fresno where she was finally able to escape and call 911.
On Friday, March 5th, Scott was contacted by the Emeryville Police Department and arrested on the arrest on a warrant obtained by the Fresno Police Department.
Scott was booked into the Alameda County Jail on charges of Pimping, Pandering, and Human Trafficking.
The woman was rescued and referred to victim advocacy services where she is receiving long-term trauma care at an undisclosed location.
If anyone has information regarding Human Trafficking, they are encouraged to contact the Fresno Police Department’s Human Trafficking Hotline at (559) 621-5950.
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
