Man sex trafficked woman and then abandoned her in California forest, feds say
A man accused of sex trafficking a woman and then abandoning her in a California forest has pleaded guilty, federal prosecutors say
Leslie Anthony Bailey, 33, of Wilmington pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking by force and coercion, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in an April 25 news release.
In an April 28 email to McClatchy News, Jonathan Evans, Bailey’s attorney, said his client “is not the monster as he is being portrayed.”
“He admitted to running a prostitution enterprise. He pleaded guilty to sex trafficking, not rape,” Evans said. “He looks forward to being able to address the court and accept responsibility at his sentencing.”
Starting in February 2022, Bailey began speaking to a woman over social media, officials said in court documents.
The woman told Bailey she was experiencing withdrawals while being treated for a fentanyl addiction at a facility, officials said.
In response, Bailey offered to pick her up and give her fentanyl, officials said. He followed through with this offer, driving her from the facility to buy fentanyl pills on or about Feb. 5, 2022, officials said.
Afterward, Bailey drove her to his Long Beach home, officials said.
The next day, officials said, Bailey drove the woman from his home to an area in Anaheim known for prostitution.
Bailey told the woman she was to perform sex acts for money, officials said. She would give him the money, and, in exchange, he would give her more fentanyl, officials said.
After the woman completed five to six ”transactions,” Bailey gave her more fentanyl and drove her back to his home, officials said.
The woman tried to leave Bailey’s home the next day; however, Bailey stopped her and threatened to beat her if she tried to leave again, officials said.
Later that day, Bailey drove the woman to the same area in Anaheim, where she again performed sex acts, and he provided her with more fentanyl, according to officials.
The woman asked Bailey to take her back to the treatment facility on Feb. 8, 2022, to which he agreed, officials said. But instead of taking her to the facility, Bailey drove her to a remote area in Angeles National Forest, officials said.
After pulling to the side of the road, officials said, he ordered her to leave the car and punched and kicked her.
Bailey is then accused of raping the woman, before driving away and leaving her in the forest, prosecutors said in the release.
In a similar incident more than a year later, Bailey is accused of using social media to recruit a woman into prostitution in March 2023, officials said.
The woman went on to work for Bailey as a prostitute across Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties from March to April 2023, officials said.
At times, he “used force and threats of force to exert control over” the woman, according to officials.
Bailey is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing July 18 and faces “mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment,” prosecutors said.
This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Man sex trafficked woman and then abandoned her in California forest, feds say."
