Two men have been charged with trafficking one woman and two 15-year-old teen girls for the purpose of sex in Long Beach and surrounding Los Angeles areas, the LA District Attorney’s Office (DA) announced today.

Bobby Joe King, 23, has been charged with 20 felony counts including human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act, by force, fear, fraud or threat of injury; forcible rape of a child victim over 14 years old; kidnapping and possession of a firearm by a felon.

James Mark, 26, has been charged with 10 felony counts, including human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act, by force, fear fraud or threat of injury and pandering by procuring a minor under the age of 16.

Both men were scheduled to be arraigned today, but the court appearance was continued to Feb. 9 at the Long Beach branch of the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Both men face additional gang allegations. King also faces gun and multiple victims’ allegations, and was previously convicted of fleeing from a pursuing police officer in a vehicle in 2015. 

Mark has a previous drug conviction from 2009 and was convicted of carrying a loaded firearm in 2014.

King and Mark are both documented gang members, according to Deputy District Attorney Troy Davis, who is prosecuting the case.

According to Davis, in 2015, a 20-year-old woman met King online and several months later met up with the defendant in person in Long Beach. During their meeting, King allegedly raped the woman and subsequently made her work for him as a prostitute. Additionally, the defendant reportedly forced the victim to have his pimp moniker tattooed on her body, Davis said. 

Mark allegedly tried to have the same woman work for him as a prostitute as well, according to the prosecutor.

King is also accused of meeting a 15-year-old girl in a Los Angeles park, displaying a gun and forcing the teenager to work for him as a prostitute, Davis said. According to the prosecutor, King allegedly raped the teenager several times.

Mark would reportedly drive the victim to several locations for the purpose of sex work, and allegedly offered to be the teen’s new pimp, according to Davis.

King and Mark are also accused of pimping a second 15-year-old girl in Los Angeles.

If convicted as charged, King faces a possible maximum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole, while Mark faces 50 years to life in state prison.

The case is being investigated by the Long Beach Police Department.