Authorities in Marin County in conjunction with multiple agencies have arrested two men for allegedly attempting to engage in paid sex as part of an investigation into human trafficking, the San Rafael Police Department said Thursday.
Simeon Ramirez-Lopez, 25, of San Rafael, was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of arranging to meet a minor for sex. Police allege he was communicating with what he thought was a 15-year-old child.
Freddy Paxtor, 48, from Greenbrae, was also arrested for allegedly arranging to meet an adult with the intent to engage in sex.
The arrests were the result of Operation Cross Country, an initiative launched by the FBI to root out sex trafficking, especially of minors. San Rafael and Novato police, the Marin County Sheriff's Office, the Central Marin Police Authority and the Marin County District Attorney's Office were all part of the operation.
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The goals of Operation Cross Country are to identify those who are willing to pay for sex with minors and to locate and rescue victims of child sex trafficking, San Rafael police said.
Police also said that they believed a person from Vacaville was a young girl who responded to an arranged location with the intent to exchange sex for money. However, investigators determined she was an adult and not under duress. She was provided resources and released, San Rafael police said.
Ultimately, police in San Rafael said they want the community to know that sex trafficking exists in Marin County. Anyone who suspects that someone is a victim of sex trafficking or is at risk of becoming one should contact their local law enforcement.
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San Rafael police said that one in six of the more than 25,000 cases of children reported as runaways to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in 2022 were likely victims of sex trafficking.
