Baltimore man charged in alleged Howard County sex-trafficking operation
A Baltimore man is facing charges for allegedly conducting a sex-trafficking operation in Howard County, according to police.
Police said that in November 2024, detectives began an investigation of 27-year-old Robert Bennett Jr., known as "RoFo", after receiving a tip about his activity at the Terrace Motel in Elkridge.
Detectives said Bennett allegedly arranged prostitution dates for several adult female victims, assaulted them, and stole their money, sometimes at gunpoint. Bennett Jr. allegedly controlled the victims by providing them with drugs and threatening them.
Bennett Jr. was arrested on Feb. 6. Police said the victims were referred to local organizations for services.
"Howard County has an ongoing effort to combat prostitution, human trafficking, and related offenses. Investigators are focused on arresting traffickers and offering assistance to victims through housing, treatment, transportation, and other services," HCPD said in a statement.
Bennett Jr., 27, is charged with 47 total counts of sex trafficking, prostitution, armed robbery, robbery, theft, and weapon violations. He is being held without bond at the Howard County Detention Center.
Similar cases in Maryland
On Mar. 3, a Maryland woman was sentenced to 15 years for trafficking women from Hagerstown, to hotels and motels in Baltimore and Anne Arundel County to perform commercial sex acts.
In that case, officials said Kenika Leach, 33, along with co-conspirators, exploited women using their drug addictions, forcing them to repay "drug debts" through commercial sex acts. Leach also used physical violence, intimidation, and manipulation to control her victims, according to prosecutors.
Leach also punished the woman by ordering them to "get on the wall" and cover their faces so she could beat them without impacting their facial features, according to the Maryland attorney general's office.
