A Richmond man has been sentenced in what Contra Costa County prosecutors are calling their first felony conviction under California's newly amended sex-buyer law, after he admitted to paying for sex with a 16-year-old who police say was being trafficked. Cedric Demarcus Kelly, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in or agreeing to engage in prostitution with a minor and was ordered to serve nearly six months in county jail and two years of formal probation. A judge also barred him from Richmond's 23rd Street corridor and ordered him to complete a course on human trafficking and the exploitation of minors.
Prosecutors told SFGATE they relied on a recent amendment to Penal Code 647(b) to file felony counts in the case. Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton framed the outcome as a turning point, saying, "This law recognizes that buyers are not bystanders -- they are participants in the exploitation of minors."
How Police Say The Case Unfolded
According to police, the case began after a February 911 call from the 16-year-old, who reported a conflict with the person trafficking her. That call triggered an investigation by detectives. The Richmond Police Department daily incident log for Feb. 21 lists entries that night for "human trafficking of victim under 18" and related sex-crime codes, which prosecutors say lines up with the timeline they described in court.
What The Law Changed
Prosecutors say the amendment to Penal Code 647(b), which took effect Jan. 1, allows buyers to be charged with a felony when the person they pay is being trafficked or when the buyer is more than three years older than the trafficked victim. That shift gives prosecutors more latitude in charging decisions, according to SFGATE. For those who want to read the statute for themselves, the current text is posted on Justia.
Local Enforcement Push
The Kelly case lands as the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force has been ramping up operations across the county to find survivors and pursue those accused of exploiting them. In a January operation, the district attorney's office reported identifying 20 survivors and making multiple arrests in a coordinated effort with local police agencies, according to the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office.
Why It Matters
Turning certain buyer conduct into a felony gives prosecutors another tool to hit demand in trafficking situations and to seek stiffer outcomes, including felony records and closer supervision, according to attorneys and officials. Local advocates and law enforcement leaders have described the legal change as one piece of a broader strategy that aims to disrupt markets that prey on minors while centering support for survivors.
The district attorney's office is urging anyone with information about possible trafficking to contact local law enforcement or the DA Human Trafficking Tip Line at 925-957-8658. Prosecutors say Kelly's case will likely serve as a local example of how the amended statute can be applied when minors are being exploited.
