Man accused of human trafficking at Pleasant Hill home

Dominic Salazar, 54, was arrested on suspicion of trafficking women out of a Pleasant Hill residence. Dominic Salazar, 54, was arrested on suspicion of trafficking women out of a Pleasant Hill residence. Photo: Pleasant Hill Police Dept. Photo: Pleasant Hill Police Dept. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Man accused of human trafficking at Pleasant Hill home 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Undercover detectives arrested a 54-year-old man on suspicion of trafficking women out of a Pleasant Hill residence that he billed on the Internet as an upscale private club while luring sex workers with a website advertising a bogus modeling agency, police said Tuesday.

Dominic Salazar was arrested Friday and charged with false imprisonment and pimping. Authorities say he ran Mad Girls Fitness, which through its website promised clients modeling gigs with fancy photo shoots.

But on June 14, authorities were tipped that the Mad Girls Fitness site was a front for a prostitution ring that Salazar was running out of his home at 555 Mesa Verde Place, a two-story house at the end of a cul-de-sac in an upscale residential neighborhood, Pleasant Hill police Lt. Scott Vermillion said.

Detectives went undercover into the home, where they spoke with several women who were being trafficked, Vermillion said. Salazar allegedly lured the women through the guise they would be working at a modeling business.

“Mad Girls is primarily a professional modeling, advertising and artistic ad photography company,” a description on the company’s website says. “We also offer professional private training services such as private modeling, private dance, private massage and private pole dance and private pole fitness training and job placement.”

For $100 anytime of the day or night, clients can receive “sensual training,” the site says.

A message on the company’s website asks callers to send it a text message to make an appointment.

Salazar allegedly cultivated his customers through the site, inviting them to an “upscale private club” at his Pleasant Hill home, Vermillion said.

Advocates from Pleasant Hill’s Community Violence Solutions program were providing assistance to the victims.

The investigation is continuing, and authorities asked anyone with information about the case to call police at (925) 288-4630.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky