Detective Kathryn Torres, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force
Kathryn Torres has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 9 and half years and is assigned as the full-time coordinator and detective of the Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force. She works collaboratively with victim service providers, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations to rescue victims and arrest their traffickers. Her main objective in the Task Force is to educate fellow first responders on signs of Human Trafficking, establishing a protocol, investigating these crimes, and working with victims in a trauma informed dynamic.
Dawn Schiller, M.A., Expert Consultant & Survivor
Dawn Schiller is an expert survivor-leader in the anti-trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault movements. Abused and trafficked on the streets of Hollywood in her teens by the infamous porn actor, John Holmes, she survived the gruesome Wonderland Avenue murders in 1981 and ultimately turned him into the police. The movie, “Wonderland” depicts her story, portrayed by Kate Bosworth and Val Kilmer as John Holmes. She recently worked with NBC Universal on a docu-drama surrounding the Wonderland murders due for release in 2018.
Her subsequent years of struggle to survivorship, education and service to others offer valuable first-hand insight to community advocates. Today, she is a national speaker, educator, consultant, and author.
MICHAEL MUNN, Ventura County District Attorney Investigator, II
Michael Munn has a long varied law enforcement background starting in 1987 with the Buena Park Police Dept. before becoming a DA Investigator for the Orange County District Attorney’s office in 1998. During his tenure there some of his assignments were Gangs, DEA Task Force, Anti-Terrorism Organized Crime Unit, DNA Unit, Auto Insurance Fraud Task Force and Human Trafficking. With the OCDA he prepared and executed over 100 search and arrest warrants.
In November 2015, Mr. Munn was hired by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office as a DA Investigator II. He is currently assigned to Human Trafficking and was tasked to form the VC HT Enforcement Team, which includes members of local VC police agencies, the FBI and Amtrak Police.
Christan Perez, Client Services Program Manager, Interface Children and Family Services
Christan has worked in social, wellness, and human services for 14 years, having worked in both Ventura and San Diego Counties. She began her career in social services as a case manager for “At Risk” Youth, and now oversees the human trafficking shelter and community-based advocacy programs at Interface. Christan’s professional ventures have provided her the opportunity and experience of working directly with victims and survivors of human trafficking, and raising awareness to the issue in our community.
From working in homeless outreach sites, to psychiatric care facilities, and drop-in centers, Christan has become well versed with the Peer Advocacy Model, Stages of Change, and the personal and professional perception that all persons were created equally. She believes everyone deserve the opportunity to be heard, and supported in reaching each own’s identified successes, free of judgement and stigmatization. Christan strongly believes that a community free of stigma will better support the survivors in accessing the resources and benefits made available to them. Without these services, and support, victims of human trafficking continue to run the risk of further victimization.
Dr. Allison Santi-Richard, Emergency Medicine physician, Los Robles Hospital
Dr. Allyson Richard is a practicing Emergency Medicine physician at Los Robles Hospital. After attending the Soroptimist 9th annual event two years ago she was motivated to create and present a training program for medical staff recognizing ER patients who could be victims of sexual slavery and human trafficking.
Allyson attended Wayne State University School of Medicine, did her internship and residency at UCLA Hospital. She has done much community service and volunteering by mentoring youth through Career Days, STD/AIDS classes, harmful effects of smoking and drugs, and volunteering at Cass Free Clinic, Detroit, MI. free clinic.
Dr. Richard has done international service in Nepal and Peru. She organized and lead trauma workshops and “Introduction to Tuberculosis and Filariasis” in Mae Sot, Thailand.
She is a busy mother to three children as well as working and teaching medical staff with her new platform of recognizing human trafficking victims.
Dr. Anthony Walls, MD, Co-founder and Health Director of Healthcare for Justice
Dr. Anthony Walls is the medical director and co-founder of Healthcare for Justice (HFJ), a non-profit clinic located at the Ventura County Family Justice Center that provides comprehensive primary health care to victims and survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence in Ventura County free of charge. He has been working closely with this patient population in Ventura County since 2015 that helped inspire and lead to the creation of the HFJ and opening its doors in 2019.
He also works as a hospitalist at Ventura County Medical Center and Santa Paula Hospital.
Dr. Walls graduated from the Boston University if Medicine in 2012, He Performed his Residency at the Ventura Medical Center, and received a Santa Paula Maternal-Child Health Fellowship in 2015-2016.
Alia Azariah, Survivor, Aftercare Development Director for Safe House
Alia is a survivor of underage sex trafficking and adult sexual exploitation. She serves as a member of the California State Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a Child (CSEC) Advisory Board. In this capacity, she endeavors to influence the policies and procedures involved in the identification and care of today’s survivors.
Det. Kellyn King, Detective, Simi Valley Police Department, Detective Bureau – Major Crimes Division
Det. King is assigned to investigate crimes against children, sex crimes, domestic violence, and human trafficking. When she first started as a detective two years ago, she had the privilege of hearing a live experience expert share their experience regarding human trafficking and was profoundly impacted by what she heard.
Since then, Kellyn has been motivated to educate herself and others on human trafficking, as well as becoming more pro-active with the at-risk youth in the community.
She truly believes that collaborating with organizations within the anti-trafficking industry is crucial to having successful investigations, dispersing knowledge though out communities, and supporting victims during their recovery.
Sandy Esparza, Survivor, Community Outreach and Trainer, Zoe International
Sandy is a servant leader powered by faith, gratitude, and a zest for life. She’s a former foster youth, and an overcomer of child trafficking and exploitation in the commercial sex industry as a young adult.
The challenges she’s endured have fueled her passion to be an active and bold vessel in the fight for freedom. Sandy is a fierce warrior and displays her passion through public speaking, survivor advocacy, outreach, education, encouragement, and empowerment.
She utilizes her testimony as a bridge to bring awareness to human trafficking in her career and community and aims to one day write a memoir for the purpose of bringing healing and hope to others. She currently works in Community Outreach and Training for ZOE International.
