A disturbing case involving a 27-year-old man accused of forcing his 15-year-old girlfriend into prostitution is giving the District Attorney's office yet another reason to warn unsuspecting parents.
The DA says the teen ran away from her National City home to be with her boyfriend, Brandon Koko, two weeks after meeting him at a YouTube video shoot.
Soon after, Koko allegedly advertised her for sexual favors online.
"They fall in love. The boyfriend is wonderful for a period of time. Maybe it's two weeks, maybe it's three. Maybe it's two days; and then it turns sour and then it's time to get out and start working," Deputy District Attorney Mary-Ellen Barrett explained.
Police found the 15-year-old girl living out of the Paradise Motel in National City.
After a couple of days at the motel, the girl's mother saw a Snapchat of her daughter there and notified police.
Detectives said they also uncovered ads on Craigslist for the girl, and told NBC 7 others are turning to the website "BedPage" after the FBI shut down the similar site, "Backpage."
Local
The girl told investigators she met about four different men, all while being in contact with her so-called boyfriend and gave him all the money.
"It's important for men to be good role models as well as everyone keeping an eye out for the kids because they need to know what a good relationship is. So they can spot what a bad one is," Barrett said.
Koko was arrested at a senior living facility in San Diego where he lived with his grandmother. On his phone, investigators found a picture of a flyer showing the girl was missing.
He has two prior convictions on his record, including battery and inflicting great bodily injury.
He faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted on the latest charges.
If you're a victim, there are a lot of resources for you.
The best thing to do is to call the national hotline at 1-888-373-7888, and they will direct you to local services.
