Last week, Candace Talley, 27 was formally arraigned in Delaware County on trafficking related charges, after a delay due to COVID-19. The CSE Institute first reported on Talley’s case in February following her arrest.
Talley, formerly a Delaware County Child & Services Employee, is charged with Promoting Prostitution, Trafficking in Individuals, and Corrupt Organizations. Two of the original charges, Coerce/Threat of Official Act and Official Oppression were dismissed at the lower court. The affidavit of probable cause alleges that Talley, while working as a case manager, recruited the mothers of her clients to work for pimp-controlled prostitution rings in the Philadelphia area. She allegedly promised to assist in returning children from foster care, ensure negative drug tests, and promised other positive custody determinations to coerce vulnerable mothers to engage in commercial sex for her ultimate profit. Talley’s network allegedly included 2,000 sex buyers and a third-party who kept 50% of the money paid to the prostituted women. She received 25% of the “profit” in exchange for her alleged recruitment and transportation. Talley hired a private attorney to represent her at the arraignment and was not present.
The CSE Institute commends the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office on its efforts to target trafficking in the county. It is unfortunate that the charges which specifically target Talley’s abuse of power were dismissed at the lower court, particularly considering the recent calls for police and law enforcement accountability nationwide.
At this point it is unclear whether the third-party involved in Talley’s trafficking ring or any of the 2,000 alleged sex buyers will be prosecuted for their role in this exploitation. We will provide additional updates as this case continues to unfold.