Two 13-year-old girls were kidnapped and taken to an Airbnb in central California, where they were raped for days by three men. The girls reported that they were forced into a car by one of the men, Reuben Gilliam, who threatened them. The girls were rescued by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department on June 9, after being held captive for nearly a week. Gilliam, who had plans to film the girls for adult content, is currently in state custody on unrelated charges and is expected to be brought to federal court soon. Daisy Pollard-Gilliam, the owner of the Airbnb, was arrested on April 24 and is awaiting a preliminary hearing on May 9.
At the Airbnb, the girls were required to have sex with Gilliam and other adult males for money. They were also handcuffed and forced to take pills at times. Gilliam and Pollard-Gilliam collected cash from customers and had the girls pose for photos for sex advertisements. Before being rescued, the girls were taken to a mansion in the mountains owned by an older man. They were later driven to a recreational vehicle in Gardena, from where they were rescued by the authorities. Pollard-Gilliam shared inappropriate images of the girls with an inmate at a prison, and Gilliam was messaging others about filming the girls for adult content.
Sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking where victims are exploited for sex acts or labor. Children in welfare or juvenile justice systems are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking in the United States. Investigators discovered Pollard-Gilliam sharing images of the girls with an inmate, and Gilliam discussing filming them for adult content. OnlyFans, where Gilliam planned to upload content, has age and identification checks to prevent the uploading of images of minors. After her initial hearing, Pollard-Gilliam is scheduled for a post-indictment arraignment on May 14. As of May 7, neither Gilliam nor Pollard-Gilliam have been indicted according to court records. The U.S. Department of Justice considers sex trafficking a serious crime of exploitation.
If you or someone you know is a victim of trafficking, you can contact the national hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or chat with the online hotline. Immediate danger situations should be reported by calling 911. The case involving the kidnapping and rape of the two 13-year-old girls highlights the prevalence of sex trafficking and the vulnerability of children in the U.S. to such crimes. The perpetrators in this case are facing charges related to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children and could potentially face further legal consequences as the case progresses.
