BAKERSFIELD, CA - A Stockton man is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday on charges of human trafficking. Police say Jerome Henderson forced a 13-year-old girl to take part in sexual acts in a Bakersfield hotel. They say he planned to take her to Sacramento for prostitution.
Henderson says it didn't happen.
"We was just eating pizza, eating pizza hot wings, playing video games, that's it," said Henderson.
Henderson says the girl told him she was 17-years-old, turning 18 soon. He says he invited her to a hotel party involving drugs and alcohol, but no sexual contact.
"It's not like I pursued this girl, it's not like I kept trying to, it's not like she was ever held against her personal liberty. What I read in the law library human trafficking is something that when you got to violate somebody's personal liberty. This girl still had her phone she was still on the laptop, Facebook," said Henderson.
Henderson says he wasn't going to take her to Sacramento.
"That morning I sent her on her way in a cab," said Henderson.
Magdalene Hope Ministry is an organization that offers support to people who work in the sex trade industry. Founder Doug Benett says Bakersfield is a stop on the west coast sex trafficking circuit.
"The girls are moved from Washington, from Canada on down to Mexico and Bakersfield is just one of your stops along the way," said Bennett.
He says it's a growing problem in the area.
Bennet said, "Probably half the girls that you would see on Union Avenue or at the bus stop are not out there because they want to be, they're out there because they're being forced to be out there."
Bakersfield police officials say there were no arrests for human trafficking in 2012, but this year there have been three arrests.
Police officials say they can't release information about how the girl allegedly came in contact with henderson.
Meanwhile, he denies any involvement in prostitution or human trafficking.
Henderson says it didn't happen.
"We was just eating pizza, eating pizza hot wings, playing video games, that's it," said Henderson.
Henderson says the girl told him she was 17-years-old, turning 18 soon. He says he invited her to a hotel party involving drugs and alcohol, but no sexual contact.
"It's not like I pursued this girl, it's not like I kept trying to, it's not like she was ever held against her personal liberty. What I read in the law library human trafficking is something that when you got to violate somebody's personal liberty. This girl still had her phone she was still on the laptop, Facebook," said Henderson.
Henderson says he wasn't going to take her to Sacramento.
"That morning I sent her on her way in a cab," said Henderson.
Magdalene Hope Ministry is an organization that offers support to people who work in the sex trade industry. Founder Doug Benett says Bakersfield is a stop on the west coast sex trafficking circuit.
"The girls are moved from Washington, from Canada on down to Mexico and Bakersfield is just one of your stops along the way," said Bennett.
He says it's a growing problem in the area.
Bennet said, "Probably half the girls that you would see on Union Avenue or at the bus stop are not out there because they want to be, they're out there because they're being forced to be out there."
Bakersfield police officials say there were no arrests for human trafficking in 2012, but this year there have been three arrests.
Police officials say they can't release information about how the girl allegedly came in contact with henderson.
Meanwhile, he denies any involvement in prostitution or human trafficking.