- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Couple faces new charges in human trafficking case
This story has been updated.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A couple arrested two weeks ago has been charged with new counts in an evolving human trafficking case as new set of alleged victims who have come forward to authorities.
On Wednesday morning, Sam Lindsey Massette, 37, and his wife, Krystina Marie Pickersgill, 27, appeared together in Lake County Superior Court for a preliminary hearing on charges of human trafficking, pimping, pandering and conspiracy concerning, according to District Attorney Don Anderson.
The couple, arrested on June 5, originally was charged for one victim, known as “T.P.” or Jane Doe 1 in court documents.
They are accused of having taken the young woman to San Francisco in late September, rented a hotel room and used Internet ads to hire her out as a prostitute over the course of two weekends, as Lake County News has reported.
However, since the original criminal complaint was filed, Anderson said his office has been contacted by numerous other potential victims as well as community members who had information about local trafficking activities.
The result was that before the Wednesday morning preliminary hearing began, Anderson said his office served Massette and Pickersgill with an amended complaint alleging three other victims.
Massette’s attorney Tom Quinn said the preliminary hearing has been held over and will be reset.
The amended complaint alleges to Massette also trafficked a minor female, identified as Jane Doe 2, for the purposes of prostitution. Anderson said that case dates back to 2006, when the victim was 17 years old.
If convicted of that newly charged offense Massette could face a sentence up to 15 years to life in state prison, Anderson said.
Anderson said Massette and Krystina Pickersgill also are both charged with human trafficking, pimping and pandering involving two other women who are identified in the new complaint as Jane Doe 3 and Jane Doe 4.
Massette, who has a degree in psychology that he received in 2016 from Marymount California University when it had a Lake County campus and has worked as a counselor, remains in custody in the Lake County jail with a bail of $1 million, with Pickersgill’s bail also set at $1 million, Anderson said.
The couple is scheduled for arraignment on the amended complaint on Tuesday, June 26, according to Anderson.
The case began in April, when Anderson was contacted by the initial victim, T.P., at a production of the play “Jane Doe in Wonderland” at the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport.
The play, about human trafficking, helped the young woman to realize she had been a victim of the crime, and afterward she told Anderson of her experience.
He said he launched an immediate investigation, which led to the arrests of Massette and Pickersgill this month.
Since the couple’s arrests and news of the case broke, Anderson said several other women have come forward, identifying themselves as victims of human trafficking for prostitution.
He said his office is aware of still other victims in this case and additional charges may yet be filed.
Anderson said that his entire investigative unit is committed to uncovering the human trafficking of women in Lake County.
“It is very troubling that some sophisticated criminals are coming into our neighborhoods and schools recruiting teenager into a life of prostitution, either to be a willing or unwilling victim,” he said.
“Our office is currently prosecuting four defendants in this year alone for human trafficking for prostitution,” he said. “We know there are other victims out there currently working for other traffickers and that several other women and teenagers are being recruited for this purpose. We are asking anyone with information about human trafficking or soliciting teenagers for prostitution to please contact the District Attorney’s Office.”
The Lake County District Attorney’s Office can be reached at 707-263-2251.
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