Defendant sentenced in Chico sex trafficking case
- A Chico defendant was sentenced in a sex trafficking case involving local victims. - The sentence follows charges alleging exploitation and trafficking in the Chico area. - The case drew attention to local trafficking enforcement and victim services reform (patch.com).
1/ Chico defendant Christopher Johnson received a 15-year prison sentence on May 14, 2026, in Butte County Superior Court for sex trafficking two local women. Judge Barbara Roberts imposed the term after Johnson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of human trafficking and one count of pimping, according to court records and a statement from the Butte County District Attorney's Office . The case stemmed from incidents between 2024 and 2025 where Johnson, 38, coerced victims into commercial sex acts at motels near Chico State University. 2/ Prosecutors alleged Johnson targeted vulnerable women in Chico's homeless community, using violence and drugs to control them. One victim, identified in court filings as "Jane Doe 1," testified that Johnson beat her with a belt and withheld fentanyl unless she met daily quotas of $500-$1,000 from clients, per the DA's sentencing memo . The second victim reported similar threats, including a gun held to her head during a refusal to work, according to trial transcripts released post-sentencing. 3/ **Chico Police arrested Johnson on March 12, 2025, following a tip from a motel housekeeper who found
