2 years ago
EL DORADO HILLS, CA - A crime came to light Tuesday in a place that many would regard the least likely place. The crime is child prostitution with its base in the affluent community of El Dorado Hills.
You may remember the case of a missing 17-year old from El Dorado Hills back in March. She was found, but it wasn't until this week that News10 learned what had happened to the girl. FBI investigators said she had been under the grip of a pimp who lived just a few blocks away, ran in the same crowd, and coerced the girl into prostitution.
Her mother, Vicky Zito, let the tears flow but it does little to stop the questions from gnawing at her soul, "What kind of sick pleasure do you derive from exploiting children this way?" she said.
A federal affidavit claims 23-year-old Rishi Sanwal of El Dorado Hills lives with his parents in a multi-million dollar mansion in El Dorado Hills. On March 19 he was in a shopping center, down the hill from his home, when friends of the girl introduced them.
"Something that's seemingly innocuous and harmless right here in my neighborhood and that's where it all started for us. That's where she met these people," said Zito as she pondered how a crime like child prostitution could invade her community and, no less, her home.
Her daughter told FBI agents that she went willingly with Sanwal but he allegedly refused to take her back home. The affidavit said he took her to his parent's home where he supposedly put her photo and a prostitution advertisement online.
From there, agents claim Sanwal drove the girl in his 2005 Hummer to a motel in Fremont. They stayed there overnight and then he drove them to a motel in Rocklin for a series of encounters, according to the affidavit.
After a few days, Sanwal drove them back to Fremont where undercover agents had arranged for an encounter with the girl. Agents entered the room and recovered the girl a short time later. Sanwal was followed, his parents home searched, and he was arrested this week.
He faces charges of sex trafficking and is being held without bail in the Sacramento County Jail.
News10/KXTV
