Trial date set for man accused of pimping out girl

A March 18 trial date was tentatively set Wednesday for a 73-year-old Chinese immigrant accused of raping a teenage prostitute and attempting to lure a Blythe middle school girl into his car.

Jeff Hsieh is charged with three counts of forcible rape and one count each of human trafficking of a minor, inducing a minor to engage in prostitution, procuring a person for prostitution, pandering, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, stalking and child annoyance.

During a status hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, Riverside County Superior Court’s Dean Benjamini reserved a trial date for the defendant as a matter of court procedure. The prosecution and defense did not confirm they would be prepared to move ahead at that time.

Hsieh remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail at the Indio Jail.

At a preliminary hearing in December, the defendant, speaking through a Mandarin translator, told a judge: “Everything (alleged by the prosecution) was made up. Everything is fabricated.”

Sheriff’s Investigator Sgt. Julio Oseguera testified that a 15-year-old girl alleged she met Hsieh while working as a prostitute in the Blythe area and ultimately moved in with him for about three weeks in June 2015.

The girl alleged she repeatedly had sex with Hsieh in exchange for cash, heroin, methamphetamine and the use of a Mercedes-Benz SUV, Oseguera testified. The girl told detectives that on several occasions she refused to have sex, and Hsieh forced himself on her, then paid her extra. The defendant also allegedly took her to Indio and San Diego, where he paid for a hotel room and waited as she engaged in prostitution with other customers. He would then allegedly take her shopping as a reward, according to Oseguera.

In a separate but related case, the deputy testified that a 13-year-old victim was discovered after investigators learned of a Facebook posting by a Blythe neighborhood watch association, warning the public to beware of a man trying to lure children into his car.

The posting featured a photograph of Hsieh’s white Lexus. The alleged victim, identified only as an area middle school student, was able to get away unharmed.

Hsieh was arrested Oct. 1 at a residence in the 18000 block of Maple Drive, in an unincorporated community near Blythe.