A man who reportedly forced an 18-year-old woman to engage in prostitution was arrested on Friday, June 25. Patrick Boughton, 20, is facing charges of human trafficking and pandering, and his bail is set at $100,000.
According to spokesperson Lt. Paul McCaffrey, Santa Barbra police received a tip from the woman’s mother — who lives in Nebraska — that her daughter was being held against her will at a motel on upper State Street.
Police went to the motel, said McCaffrey, but discovered that the three people staying there had checked out an hour prior and were last seen driving in a white Cadillac with Oklahoma plates. The call then went out to area law enforcement.
Later that same day, deputies with the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department spotted the car driving on Highway 1 near Morro Bay. They stopped the vehicle without incident and verified the woman’s identity.
During the course of investigation, said McCaffrey, detectives determined that “Boughton had used threats, coercion, and physical abuse to force the 18-year-old woman to engage in prostitution and prevent her from fleeing.” Detectives are working to determine what if any involvement another woman in the car had with the alleged crimes.