District Attorney Pamela Price Files Charges Against Man Accused of Human Trafficking a Minor
November 21, 2024
Oakland, CA–District Attorney Pamela Price has charged Deondre Smith-King (29) with human trafficking of a minor. Mr. Smith-King is charged with one count of human trafficking of a minor and two counts of pimping a minor, all felonies. These charges stem from a police investigation that culminated in Mr. Smith-King’s recent arrest.
The criminal complaint alleges that between August 17, 2024, and November 12, 2024, Mr. Smith-King allegedly engaged in the exploitation and trafficking of a minor for commercial sex purposes in the City of Oakland. The underage victim was reported as a missing person by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and was allegedly with Mr. Smith-King when Oakland Police arrested him on “The Blade,” an area in Oakland known for 24-hour sex trafficking.
“Disrupting human trafficking, specifically in the City of Oakland, has been a major focus during my tenure in the district attorney’s office,” said DA Pamela Price. That is because Alameda County remains the nation’s 3rd largest hub for the sexual slave trade, with an estimated 80% being African American juveniles, many of them from foster homes. Holding those to account who are accused of trafficking vulnerable young people must remain a top priority for the DA’s Office if we are ever going to get the upper hand on putting a stop to it once and for all. We also need the collaboration, support, and cooperation of law enforcement agencies all across the Bay Area to successfully tackle the problem.”
Deondre Smith-King is currently being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. His bail is set at $355,000. He made an appearance for a pre-trial hearing on November 21, 2024, in Department 115 at Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in Oakland. If he is convicted and sentenced of all charges, he faces a maximum of 12 years in state prison.
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Contact: damedia@acgov.org
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office (DAO) is one of California’s largest prosecutors’ offices and is led by Alameda County’s first Black woman District Attorney Pamela Y. Price. Price brings her vision to this office to fairly administer justice in the pursuit of thriving, healthy, and safe communities for every person who steps foot in Alameda County, no matter their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, income, or zip code. Price has been recognized as one of the most progressive prosecutors through her forward-thinking, innovative strategies to interrupt cycles of violence and crime and bring change to a criminal justice system rooted in systemic racism. Follow Madam DA on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and @AlamedaCountyda on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.