Sacramento County couple accused of sex trafficking two 17-year-olds

A married couple was arrested Sunday. They are accused of sex trafficking two 17-year-old girls, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said a deputy was on patrol near Watt Avenue and Winona Way in North Highlands around 8 p.m. when he noticed two young girls in lingerie next to a car. The deputy spoke with both girls and found out they were victims of sex trafficking, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials said investigators found the two girls were trafficked by family friends, later identified as 46-year-old John Cheso and 35-year-old Shannon Powell. The girls referred to Cheso and Powell as their “street parents,” according to the sheriff’s office. “It’s very rare that we can go from contacting a victim to arresting their pimp,” Sergeant Amar Gandhi said. “That was really significant about this case.” Cheso and Powell were arrested on human trafficking charges. The sheriff’s office said both were still in custody Monday. Cheso is being held on $2 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court June 26. Powell is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court June 25. Investigators believe there may be additional victims of sex trafficking. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 916-874-5115. The sheriff’s office said the deputy who found the two victims had just rescued another young girl who was also a victim of sex trafficking. Victim advocate Leia Schenk said Monday that city and county leaders need to do more to provide victims with comprehensive, 24/7 assistance so they have a safe place to go in the hours and days after they escape from the streets. “It’s always good to know we’re trying to clean the streets of traffickers, but I always think about the victims. What happens to them?” she said. Schenk founded Empact, an organization that supports at-risk youth and victims of human trafficking. She said that all too often, victims of human trafficking have no safe place to go outside of their trafficker’s care and are pushed back into a situation where they must exploit themselves to survive. “They’ll escape into this life thinking that’s all they’re good for,” she said. “They’ll make sure they eat, that they have somewhere to live, but at the end of the night, they’ll sexually exploit you and force you to go out and sell your body against your will.” Schenk is working to raise funds to open a permanent shelter for victims in Sacramento County and to fund a 24/7 outreach team, as human trafficking remains a pressing issue in Sacramento County. She said it can be difficult for survivors to get help outside of business hours. “We need something more concrete because this is bigger than us. It’s huge and we can’t keep a handle on it,” she said. KCRA 3 Investigates spent a year talking to sex trafficking victims, advocates, legislators and law enforcement about the problems they see on the streets and what they believe needs to change. For more information, click here. For more reporting on California’s most important stories, click here | Download our app.