Anonymous tip leads to arrest, charges against alleged sex trafficker
Courtesy of Washington County
An anonymous tipster led to police arresting an alleged sex trafficker and charges being filed against him, according to a news release by Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson.
Ray Jay Dean Thompson, 45, has been charged with promoting prostitution and receiving benefits from prostitution. He made a court appearance on these charges Wednesday morning, court officials said.
Thompson has since been released from jail on a $50,000 bail on the conditions that he have no contact with the victim, disclose the existence of all internet-capable devices, have no use of adult websites or chatrooms and be placed on a GPS monitor.
According to the criminal complaint, an anonymous tipster texted Oakdale Police on Monday expressing concern about a woman who was possibly being sexually trafficked. The tipster gave police a location, what time the woman would be there and that the sex buyer was going to pay the woman $300.
Oakdale Police Department sent a detective from the East Metro Human Trafficking Task Force to the location, where the detective saw Thompson leaving in a white sedan.
Authorities conducted a traffic stop and saw a 23-year-old woman in the passenger seat, court documents state.
Officers spoke with the woman outside of the vehicle and she admitted to posting an ad for commercial sex. She said Thompson knew about her commercial sex activities and would give her rides.
Thompson was on his phone during this interaction and a search warrant for the phone showed a factory reset with no history or files existing, court officials said.
Thompson told police that the woman was his girlfriend’s daughter and said he was just giving her a ride but denied knowing why she needed the ride. Officers found $300 in Thompson’s pocket and text messages between him and the woman on her phone.
The text messages show Thompson talking about posting ads for commercial sex and the woman asking him for money to buy clothes.
Officers arrested Thompson and provided resources to the woman before giving her a ride home.