A convicted felon who pimped out a 19-year-old woman in Moreno Valley, controlling her through threats, and assaulted other women who refused to work for him and tried to persuade an undercover investigator to join his crew is due for sentencing Friday.
A Riverside jury in November convicted Christian Scott Meeks, 35, of Moreno Valley of two counts each of procuring a person for the purpose of prostitution, depriving a person of personal liberty and assault resulting in great bodily injury, as well as one count of witness intimidation, attempted pandering and pimping.
Meeks is slated for sentencing at the Riverside Hall of Justice. He’s being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney’s Office, the defendant came under investigation in January 2020 after sheriff’s patrol deputies went to investigate a disturbance at the Travel Inn on Sunnymead Boulevard in Moreno Valley.
They encountered a young woman, identified in court papers only as “M.S.,” who was in a room, weeping and saying she no longer wanted to work as a prostitute.
A deputy spotted items on a nearby table that included condoms, pepper spray and a spiral notebook with a list of “House Rules,” the brief said.
Among the rules were “respect my game,” “speak only when spoken to” and “create Porn Hub account,” court papers said, stating further that Meeks, also known as “Active,” was the author.
M.S. told deputies that she had fallen under the defendant’s sway in April 2019 while struggling to stay off of the streets. He convinced her to provide sexual services to “Johns” at his direction, turning over all earnings to him after he arranged her dates in motel rooms and cars using different web applications.
The ensuing investigation by the county’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force revealed that Meeks used physical threats to keep the young woman under his control, court papers said.
She was ultimately provided with resources to end her activity in the illicit sex trade.
Investigators later located another woman, identified as “J.L.,” who said that on March 23, 2020, she was involved in a confrontation with Meeks outside Sundance Liquor Store on Sunnymead during which he accused her of being a “snitch.”
Court papers said that he was incensed J.L. had turned down his solicitations to work for him as a call girl, and the confrontation turned violent, with the defendant beating her so intensely she urinated herself and collapsed on the ground unconscious.
Another woman, identified as “V.B.,” met Meeks in November 2018 while she was pregnant and paying her bills in Lancaster by periodically providing sexual services, according to court documents. The defendant drove her to Moreno Valley, insisting that she perform a “car date” as part of her initiation to work for him. But according to the brief, V.B. refused.
Meeks flew into a rage, throwing an electronics device that shattered on her face, inflicting multiple cuts, according to prosecutors.
By January 2021, investigators had amassed sufficient evidence to put Meeks under surveillance. A sheriff’s female investigator volunteered to serve undercover in an attempt to garner further details about his operation, according to the brief.
Prosecutors said “Investigator Pierson” communicated with Meeks via Snapchat, agreeing to meet him in person to discuss possibly working for him. The woman asked multiple questions, but “when Pierson asked how much profit she would make and how much he would take, the defendant exploded and accused her of being a cop,” according to the brief.
The meeting abruptly ended.
Meeks was arrested without incident on Feb. 3, 2021.
According to court records, he has prior convictions for grand theft and attempted robbery.