OAKLAND — A man convicted of multiple crimes earlier this week involving the trafficking of a 15-year-old girl in 2018 could spend the rest of his life in prison after he is sentenced in November, according to authorities and court records.
Lonnel Moore, 37, was convicted Monday by an Alameda County Superior Court jury of four felony counts, including human trafficking of a minor with force, pimping of a minor, procuring a child to commit a lewd and lascivious act, and committing a lewd act on a minor. The human trafficking of a minor with force charge carries a sentence of 15 years to life, authorities said.
Moore, who has nine prior felony convictions, has addresses in Hayward and Oakland and was known to primarily frequent the 23rd Avenue area of Oakland. He remains in custody without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin pending his sentencing Nov. 15.
According to authorities, Moore and the girl first met through social media in the summer of 2018. He eventually made her start working as a prostitute, along International Boulevard and they were staying at an East Oakland motel on MacArthur Boulevard, authorities said.
The Oakland police Vice Unit began an investigation against Moore on Aug. 7, 2018, after officers were dispatched to the area of Bancroft and 90th avenues. There, they located the girl, then 15, who had fled the motel. She told police that Moore, her pimp, was angry with her for trying to leave him, that he had struck her with a miniature baseball bat and had tried to suffocate her with a pillow.
She told police she had tried to escape on prior locations but that Moore would find her and beat her, according to court records.
She also told police that Moore gave her drugs and used abusive language against her to keep her working as a prostitute, authorities said.
Moore was arrested Sept. 29, 2018 in Oakland in the 23rd Avenue area. The victim now lives in another area.
According to court records, Moore’s prior convictions are from July 2003 to March 2017 and include convictions for possession of cocaine for sale, possession of a firearm by a felon, and evading a peace officer. He received prison terms for seven of the convictions and probation for the others, according to the records.