On Friday, March 16, 2018, 32-year-old Moncello L. James, was sentenced to 210 months in prison. On January 26, 2018, a Multnomah County jury found James guilty of five counts of Compelling Prostitution and 15 counts of Promoting Prostitution.
James' conviction came as a result of an investigation that began on May 3, 2017, when officers contacted a victim James had forced into prostitution. Human Trafficking Detectives took over the investigation and began working with the victim. When officers first contacted the victim, James was being held in the Multnomah County Jail for an unrelated parole violation in connection with a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Detectives learned that James compelled his victim into prostitution prior to his incarceration on April 3, 2017, and continued to compel the victim to perform acts of prostitution from inside jail. James was previously convicted of pimping and pandering in California.
The Portland Police Bureau Human Trafficking Unit, East Precinct's Sex Trafficking Unit, Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Intel Unit, Multnomah County Parole and Probation, and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office worked together to bring James to justice.
The Portland Police Bureau wants to remind the community that human trafficking is not a victimless crime. Victims of sex trafficking are forced, coerced, and manipulated into this lifestyle against their will. They are forced to suffer through physical, sexual, and mental abuse. The Portland Police Bureau, in conjunction with other Federal and local law enforcement agencies, are committed to prosecuting human trafficking activities.
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