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Five Men Charged with Trafficking Minors to North Hollywood for Prostitution

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Five men, three of whom are members of the East Coast Crips gang, were arrested on charges of taking minors from the Inland Empire to North Hollywood to work as prostitutes.

The Long Beach Press-Telegram reports that Darrius Sutton, 21, Chad Phillips-Miller, 23, Darius Burks, and Leprinceton Burks, 27, and Edwin Franklin were taken into custody on December 8, after an investigation by the Los Angeles Innocence Lost Task Force. The task force is devoted to taking on the problem of children being trafficked into prostitution.

In addition to the prostitution charges, Sutton is accused of rape, and Burks and Franklin are accused of performing sexual acts on minors, according to City News Service. The men are due in court next Thursday.

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