Last week, the Bellevue Police Department arrested a man connected to a sex trafficking incident involving a 21-year-old female victim in Bellevue’s Factoria neighborhood – culminating a month-long investigation which started with a domestic violence call.
During the week of April 8, Bellevue PD Officers responded to a domestic violence incident in Factoria. Officers contacted the victim who fled the apartment with the assistance of nearby construction workers and identified several red flag indicators of sex trafficking. This was confirmed by the victim. The case was then assigned to the BPD’s Human Trafficking Unit for further investigation where they learned the victim was exploited in Washington as well as numerous states outside of Washington.
The case culminated in a search warrant of the suspect, 31-year-old Cedric A. Dorsey. Having numerous prior arrests, Dorsey was not only deemed high-risk but was also believed to have weapons – including an AK-47 – at his current residence. This led to the BPD holding a SWAT operation on Thursday, May 2 at approximately 6:00am on the 4100 block of 124th Ave SE.
When Dorsey failed to comply with BPD, it prompted the BPD’s Crisis Response Team (CRT) to initiate negotiations. The CRT worked with Dorsey’s mother to establish communication with the suspect and convince him to turn himself into law enforcement.
At 6:57am (close to an hour of the total operation), Dorsey exited the apartment and turned himself into the custody of the Bellevue PD where he was arrested for Trafficking Persons 2nd Degree, Prostitution Promotion 1st Degree, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.
Following the operation, the Bellevue PD’s Investigative Team conducted a search of the unit and found about $12,000 in cash, and three firearms in Dorsey’s apartment, including two revolvers and a Century Arms BFT47 (pictured above) with a 30-round magazine. Not only is this firearm banned in Washington State, but it was also previously reported stolen in October 2022.
“From the Bellevue PD Officers quickly spotting the red flags associated with sex trafficking to the work of the Department’s Human Trafficking Unit, this collaborative operation was truly a textbook example on how to hold an individual accountable for conducting a horrible sex crime on another person,” said Andrew Popochock, Assistant Chief for the Bellevue Police Department. “Sex trafficking is a crime and unfortunately does happen in communities like Bellevue. That’s why we’re asking the public that if they believe someone may be a victim in a sex trafficking operation to immediately call law enforcement so that we can hold these criminals accountable and save lives in the process.”
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Washington State saw a 70-percent increase of human trafficking victims in a six-year timespan. This included 192 cases of sex trafficking. Victims often demonstrate warning signs of physical abuse, giving lines that appear scripted or rehearsed, unable to speak without the presence of their abuser, or withholding to provide personal identification.
Anyone who is, knows, or has information on someone who may be a victim of exploitation is asked to contact the BPD Human Trafficking Unit (HTU) at ViceHT@bellevuewa.gov.
Bellevue Beat Blog 