Sex Trafficker Investigated By Concord PD Gets 16-Year Sentence

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — A man who was arrested in Santa Cruz last year after a five-month investigation into human trafficking was sentenced Thursday to 16 years and 8 months in prison, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office announced Thursday. Timothy Townsel of Modesto had been convicted on two felonies related to human trafficking of an adult and a minor while a gang member. Townsel will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his adult life.

The case was investigated by the Concord Police Department with major participation from the Modesto Police Department, the Alameda Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office. During the investigation, at least four victims were identified as being exploited for sex trafficking by Townsel; one of the Jane Doe victims was under the age of 16, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.

Townsel trafficked his victims for sex work in Las Vegas, Utah, Arizona and California after recruiting them from local high schools and middle schools in the Modesto area, according to the DA's office. A major break in the case came during a routine security check at the Best Western Motel in Concord, when Concord Police detained the trafficking victims for suspected prostitution activity.

Detective Joshua Gilfry of the Concord Police Department found Townsel was profiting off his victims through "manipulation, threats and physical abuse," the DA's office said. The investigation led police to Santa Cruz, where Townsel was arrested and then returned to Contra Costa County to face six felony charges in September 2018. After his arrest, the Contra Costa County DA's Office provided victim services for the Jane Does who were trafficked.

“This case highlights the multi-agency anti-human trafficking initiative that our justice partners are employing to fight these heinous crimes in our county," said Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney Jay Melaas. "Detective Gilfry’s tenacity in investigating what would have once been viewed as a routine prostitution bust is the reason this multi-jurisdictional human trafficker will no longer harm his victims."