Two Suspects Arrested for Human Trafficking of Minors

Long Beach Police Department recently participated in Operation Reclaim & Rebuild 2022, a human trafficking rescue operation, which led to two minors being rescued and two suspects arrested.

LONG BEACH, CA – The Long Beach Police Department participated in Operation Reclaim & Rebuild 2022, which is a statewide, multi-agency operation to rescue sex trafficking victims as well as to locate and arrest their sex traffickers.

The LBPD conducted operations between Feb. 5 – 7. During the operational period, detectives and officers from the LBPD Night Vice Investigations Detail, North Division Directed Enforcement Team, Coordinated Response Team, and patrol officers conducted numerous undercover investigations related to commercial sex work within the City of Long Beach.

During the operational period, six commercial sex workers were contacted and released on their own recognizance for soliciting prostitution. In addition, two minors were rescued, and their sex traffickers were arrested. Below is information related to the two arrests:

• On Feb. 6, detectives and officers conducted an undercover investigation at a local motel in the 6200 block of East Pacific Coast Highway, where they located a 17-year-old minor who was being sex trafficked. The sex trafficker was arrested for sex trafficking of a minor and the bail was set at $150,000. The arrestee was identified as Long Beach resident William Givens. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed one count of human trafficking of a minor.
• On Feb. 9, detectives and officers conducted an undercover investigation at a local motel in the 2600 block of North Lakewood Boulevard, where they located a 17-year-old minor who was being sex trafficked. The sex trafficker was arrested for sex trafficking of a minor. The arrestee was identified as Ryan Culpepper a resident of the City of Los Angeles. Culpepper is being held on a $150,000 bail. Detectives plan to present their case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office early next week for filing consideration.

During these operations, the Department of Children of Family Services were contacted and assisted in the investigations. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to call the Long Beach Police Department’s Vice Investigation Detail at 562-570-7219. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may submit a tip through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smartphone (available at the Apple App store and Google Play), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.