(LOS ANGELES) – Today, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and a nonprofit organization, Journey Out, announced a new initiative on Western Avenue that is aimed at disrupting sex trafficking, supporting survivors and holding traffickers and johns accountable. Western Avenue, particularly near Koreatown and the Greater Wilshire area, has long been identified by the LAPD and residents as a hub of illegal activity, including sex trafficking of women and minors.
Launched during National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the new Western Avenue initiative brings together law enforcement, prosecutors, social service providers and community partners to support victims and ensure that those committing these crimes are brought to justice.
“Human trafficking has long been a problem along Western Ave in our City, underscoring the need for a comprehensive approach, and sustained and coordinated action,” said Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto. “The sex trafficking of minors is among the most egregious and reprehensible crimes that inflicts long-lasting harm on communities, families, and victims. I am grateful for this coalition that brings together service providers, law enforcement, city agencies, community leaders and others to confront this problem with the urgency it demands.”
“We should all be alarmed that human trafficking involving commercial sexual exploitation is so prevalent in our county that we can list multiple corridors in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Pomona where it openly occurs,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. “We will continue our three-pronged relentless approach to tackling this important issue: prosecuting human traffickers/pimps to attack the supply side, prosecuting sexual exploiters/Johns to reduce the demand side, and offering rehabilitative services for sex workers to end their victimization."
“It is imperative for there to be collaboration amongst different entities within our city to best help serve survivors of human trafficking,” said Nayeli May, Executive Director of Journey Out. “Providing survivors vital resources and different options is crucial, and we need to approach this with compassion and sensitivity.”
“Los Angeles Police Department remains committed to collaborating with our Federal, County, and City partners to prevent the human trafficking of our young women,” said Captain Rachel Rodriguez, Los Angeles Police Department. “Operations-West Bureau continue to dedicate resources along the Western Corridor to prioritize the rescue of victims, apprehend traffickers, and ensure the quality of life of Angelenos.”
For 24/7 confidential and live assistance in more than 200 languages, victims and witnesses should call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888. The hotline can also be reached by text at 233733.
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Hydee Feldstein Soto is the 43rd Los Angeles City Attorney, elected in November 2022 and sworn into office in December 2022. Her team of nearly 1,000 legal professionals, including 500+ attorneys, carries out legal work for the City of Los Angeles at her direction and under her supervision. She is the first female City Attorney in L.A. history.
On Dec. 3, 2024, Nathan J. Hochman was sworn in as the 44th District Attorney of Los Angeles County, vowing to improve public safety by pursuing appropriate sentences for violent and serious offenders, while offering counseling and rehabilitation to those whose crimes were motivated by addiction or mental illness. A lifelong Angeleno, DA Hochman served as Assistant U.S. Attorney General for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice in 2008. Prior to that, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California from 1990 to 1997, serving in the Criminal Division. He also had an extensive career in the private sector, as a partner of several nationwide law firms and as a leading expert in tax law, criminal defense and environmental law. DA Hochman previously served as President of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission. He graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and earned his law degree from Stanford Law School.
Journey Out is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit leading the fight for the freedom and survival of all those whose lives have been destroyed by sex trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation. Its mission is to help victims of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking leave a life of abuse and violence, overcome their fears, and empower them to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.