El Cajon man gets 10 years for sex trafficking 15-year-old girl in California and Arizona
Key takeaways
- An El Cajon man who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl in San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison, according to the U.S.
- According to prosecutors, Samuel Melvin Cooper, 21, had driven the teenage girl across state lines into Arizona for the purpose of performing sex work.
- Cooper was arrested in September 2024 by San Diego police during a traffic stop in an area notorious for street-based prostitution, according to prosecutors.
A San Diego police patch is displayed on a traffic officer’s uniform. (Kevin Carter / Getty Images) By Samantha Lee Connect May 1, 2026 6:53 PM PT 2 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
An El Cajon man who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl in San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to prosecutors, Samuel Melvin Cooper, 21, had driven the teenage girl across state lines into Arizona for the purpose of performing sex work. Text messages obtained by San Diego law enforcement officials revealed he intended to leave the victim stranded there if she didn’t make him enough money.