Investigation: 6 women accused a Seattle hip-hop artist of sex trafficking, allege police ‘did virtually nothing’

Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of sexual assault and sex trafficking.

In 2021, five women filed a lawsuit against Seattle hip-hop artist Raz Simone.

According to the lawsuit, Simone paid the women to move to Seattle, sexually assaulted them, and forced them into sex work.

That lawsuit is ongoing. In September of this year, the Seattle Police Department was added as a defendant, for negligent investigation of their claims.

RELATED: 5 women sue Seattle rapper Raz Simone, 4 say he trafficked them

Simone received national attention during the summer of 2020 for his involvement with the city’s movement for racial justice. He was one of several community stakeholders who sat down with then-Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and then-Chief of Police Carmen Best during the Capitol Hill protests.

A new investigation by KUOW and The Seattle Times looks into the Seattle Police detective who was in charge of investigating Simone.

Soundside host Libby Denkmann spoke to KUOW investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko, and Rebecca Moss an investigative reporter for The Seattle Times, about their new story, "6 women accused a Seattle hip-hop artist of sex trafficking, allege police ‘did virtually nothing’"

Ashley Hiruko: 206-574-8007 or hiruko@kuow.org. Ashley Hiruko is an investigative reporter at KUOW.

Rebecca Moss: rmoss@seattletimes.com; on Twitter: @rebeccakmoss. Rebecca Moss is an investigative reporter at The Seattle Times.

Confidential support for survivors

If you have experienced sexual assault and need support, you can call the 24-hour National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673). There is also an online chat option. Survivors in King County can call the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center’s 24-hour Resource Line at 888-99-VOICE (888-998-6423) or visit www.kcsarc.org/gethelp.