Watsonville Man Accused Of Beating, Pimping Gilroy Girlfriend

WATSONVILLE, CA — A 32-year old Watsonville man has been arrested for sex trafficking his girlfriend of five years, the Santa Clara County Sherif's Office announced Tuesday.

Andre William Furtado was arrested in Gilroy on Thursday and faces numerous felony charges including human trafficking, pimping, pandering and kidnapping, according to the 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.

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.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office at (408) 808-4500.