Man Convicted Of Trafficking Gilroy Woman Gets 104 Years: Report

GILROY, CA – A convicted sex trafficker who repeatedly victimized a Gilroy woman was sentenced was issued a 104-year sentence, The Mercury News reports.

A Santa Clara County jury in September convicted 33-year-old Andre William Furtado of Watsonville on six felony charges including human trafficking, pimping and failing to register as a sex offender, the report said.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Arthur Bocanegra indicated that evidence brought against Furtado during the trial alleging he abused at least four other women was a factor in the length of the sentence according to the report.

“It brings to end a very long and prolific history that the defendant has of exploiting and abusing women,” Deputy District Attorney Patrick Vanier said according to the report.

Furtado was arrested Aug. 1, 2019 in Gilroy on suspicion of numerous felony charges including human trafficking, pimping, pandering and kidnapping, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

Furtado was on parole and is a registered sex offender, the sheriff's office said.

Over the course of their relationship, Furtado severely beat his Gilroy girlfriend, and "the many years of exploitation came to a head" when he threatened physical harm to her father, the sheriff's office said at the time of his arrest.

During its investigation, the sheriff's office found that shortly after the couple began dating in 2014, he persuaded her into prostitution as a way to make money. Furtado acted as her pimp, showed her how to post ads, and told her what prices to charge for sex acts, according to investigators.

But the relationship quickly turned violent. Almost immediately after the sex work began, Furtado became upset because he believed his girlfriend was enjoying prostitution, investigators said.

Much of the woman's statement to investigators was corroborated through photos showing her injuries at the hands of Furtado throughout their relationship, according to the sheriff's office.

The victim also provided investigators with numerous threatening text and Instagram messages that Furtado sent to her. In a live phone call with the woman, investigators heard Furtado admitting to physically abusing her, apologizing, and then negotiating her prostitution workdays if she wanted to come back to him, according to the sheriff's office.

Read more in The Mercury News

Patch Editor Toni McAllister contributed to this report