Oakland man sent his girlfriend on prostitution ‘tour’ of US, police say

OAKLAND — They met on a dating app, and then she moved into his local apartment.

Soon, she was traveling around the country, from farm towns of California to party cities in New Jersey or Nevada. But there was one, catch, according to police — she was no longer his girlfriend, she was his prostitute and he was her pimp.

Now, prosecutors have charged the Oakland man allegedly behind it all, 40-year-old Demond Williams, with pimping and pandering. Police say the woman reported that for four to six weeks, she worked for Williams, paying him an estimated total of $10,000 in proceeds from sex work, and started by walking the streets at night in Oakland.

Soon, Williams was allegedly directing her “on tour” around the country, the woman allegedly told police. She reportedly identified destinations in Utah, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, and around California, including Salinas, San Francisco, and San Jose.

It all ended when Williams allegedly “left her stranded in another state without money,” police said in court filings. Then she called officers to help her retrieve her belongings and dogs from Williams’ Rilea Way apartment, but soon sex trafficking detectives were brought in to investigate, court records show.

On June 27, prosecutors charged Williams with pimping and pandering, and bail was set at $30,000. He was later released from jail and is next due in court on July 8, records show.