Sex trafficking investigations ongoing as focus shifts to assisting alleged sex workers

News admin June 27, 2026 0 Comments

Sex trafficking investigations ongoing as focus shifts to assisting alleged sex workers

PEARL CITY (HawaiiNewsNow) – Honolulu Police have ongoing investigations after executing two search warrants this week, looking into sex traffic and prostitution cases.

One of those warrants was executed in a stretch of Pearl City that’s seen as a hotbed for criminal activity, based on the number of police reports.

A photo showed police outside a relaxation center at the Pearl City Business Plaza, where police found two alleged sex workers and recovered $3,828.

Two days before that, HPD found multiple alleged sex workers in a residential neighborhood in Aiea on Pakalana Street. Officers also recovered $17,777.

“It appears we had brothels, essentially, running, and houses that were functioning as brothels in communities, and they basically raided those operations,” said U.H. criminology professor emerita Meda Chesney-Lind.

The Imua Alliance, a local anti-trafficking organization, estimates there are 150 high-risk operations selling sex in Hawaii, with 1,500 to 2,500 victims every year.

The workers involved in this week’s raids were not arrested. Instead, HPD offered them counseling and services because they are considered to be victims.

“I commend the police departments — and assuming the prosecution is also involved in this — for reframing the issue away from just picking up essentially victims who are engaged in sex work,” said Chesney-Lind.

Interim Honolulu Police Chief Rade Vanic told HNN in a statement, “The Honolulu Police Department remains steadfast in our commitment to identifying victims, connecting them with critical resources, and pursuing those responsible for exploitation. These investigations remain a priority, and together with our community partners, we will continue working to prevent trafficking and bring offenders to justice.”

Meanwhile, the chair of the Pearl City Neighborhood Board says the relaxation center is part of an overall tone of lawlessness.

“As far as the sex trafficking, the human trafficking, the drugs, the illegal gambling — it’s just in this little quarter-mile area here. That’s where it’s at,” said Larry Veray, referring on an area of Kamehameha Highway near Waimano Home Road.

“When I called HPD to get some information — I think this was back in May — roughly it was 153 reports just in this area on incidents that had occurred, and that was from January to May,” he added.

There have been no arrests so far in either sex trafficking case, but those responsible may have least been put on notice.

“It may be that they want to harass the people engaged in the behavior — and taking their money, of course, is one way to do that,” said Chesney-Lind.