37-year-old Cedric Demarcus Kelly of Richmond has history of arrests
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
Martinez, California — A new California law targeting sex buyers has resulted in Contra Costa County’s first felony conviction under the statute.
37-year-old Cedric Demarcus Kelly of Richmond (born Feb. 17, 1989) pleaded guilty on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, to one count of engaging or agreeing to engage in prostitution with a minor. The case is notable in that it was prosecuted under an amendment to Penal Code 647(b), which became effective on January 1, 2026. The amendment now allows prosecutors to charge the buyer with a felony when the minor was induced to engage in commercial sex through trafficking, or when the buyer is more than three years older than the minor.
In the case of Kelly, the minor, who was 16 years old at the time, engaged in an act of prostitution with Kelly. On February 21, 2026, Richmond Police Department responded to a 911 call from the minor after she reported a conflict with her trafficker. She noted to officers that she had sex for money with Kelly, which led to his arrest. The case was referred to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office on February 25th. After a review of the evidence, the case was filed with the court that same day. Before the case reached the preliminary hearing stage of the legal process, Kelly entered a plea agreement on April 22nd.
Kelly was sentenced by Judge Michael Nieto to 180 days in county jail, two years of formal probation, which includes a search and seizure condition — at any time, without needing a warrant — for evidence of solicitation. The court also issued a nighttime stay away order from the 23rd Street corridor in Richmond, and Kelly must complete an educational course on human trafficking and the exploitation of minors.
“Contra Costa County’s first felony conviction under the amended Penal Code 647(b) statute marks a turning point in how we prosecute those who buy sex from minors,” District Attorney Diana Becton said. “This law recognizes that buyers are not bystanders — they are participants in the exploitation of minors. We are grateful to the Richmond Police Department and the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force for their swift response and thorough work on this case.”
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, 11-inch tall, 175-pound Kelly is Black and is being held in the West County Detention Center.
According to localcrimenews.com, Kelly has been arrested beginning in 2023, three times by Richmond PD and once by El Cerrito PD for crimes including sodomy with a person under 18 years, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, oral copulation with a person under 18 years, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, drug possession including for sale, vandalism: paint and driving without a license.
About the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force
The Task Force is a collaborative and multidisciplinary body that brings together diverse organizations from the local, state and federal levels to combat human trafficking throughout the county. The Richmond Police Department is a founding member of the Task Force and sits on its Core Leadership Team.
If you have information to share about potential sex or labor trafficking taking place in Contra Costa County, please call the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking & Workplace Justice Tip Line at (925) 957-8658 (non-emergency tips only).
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