OAKLAND — Jane Doe had grown up a lot since the last time she saw Jordan Townsend, but her life was in no better shape.
On the day that Townsend went to jail, then-13-year-old Doe — her name is sealed by a court order — was in the car with him and two prostitutes in San Diego when the cops pulled them over. Officers then arrested Townsend on suspicion of pimping. He was sentenced to four years in state prison, but stayed in touch with the girl, who reportedly told police she was surprised in early April when Townsend called her from his Instagram account.
“I’m gonna find you,” Townsend allegedly told Doe, now 17 years old, during the call. “I’m gonna get you.”
Prosecutors say he later made good on his promise, tracking the girl down to a known prostitution open air market in Oakland, where she’d gone after leaving a foster home in another part of California. The girl was standing on a street corner when Townsend allegedly pulled up and told her, “you might as well get in the car, I’m gonna sweat you all night,” according to police.
Now, Townsend is being held without bail, facing charges of trafficking the girl through coercion, as well as pandering and pimping. The criminal complaint notes his prior conviction in San Diego for attempted pimping, and says that he began trafficking Doe just 12 days after he was paroled from a state prison in that case.
Townsend has pleaded not guilty and tried — without success — to convince a judge to release him or set bail. His lawyer, Alameda County Deputy Public Defender Matthew Dalton, wrote in a bail motion that the case is “largely based on the uncorroborated statements made by Ms. Doe” and that in the San Diego case, she stole the car that Townsend and the two prostitutes were pulled over in.
Prosecutors countered that Doe came forward to a BART police officer on April 27 seeking assistance, after Townsend forced her to spend two days doing sex work without food or sleep. She paid him more than $10,000 over the course of about four weeks, authorities claim.
“He encouraged her to do drugs (specifically pills) because she would have more energy to work longer shifts, have fewer complaints, and ultimately make more money,” Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Alexis Causey wrote in court filings. “(Townsend) suggested prices for Ms. Doe to charge sex buyers and told her he wanted to ‘see what you can do,’ meaning see how much money she could make.”
Townsend’s preliminary hearing, where a judge will review evidence and decide if there is enough to send the case to trial, has been set for June 23.
