Former Temple University Football Star Charged With Human Trafficking, Allegedly Brought Underaged Girls To Hotel Room For Prostitution
Two Baltimore men – one of them a former Temple University football star – were arrested for human trafficking after allegedly bringing three girls, aged 14, 16, and 17, to a Best Western Hotel for prostitution.
During a sting operation at a hotel, undercover police officers arrested 25-year-old Matthew Warren Brown – former running back at Temple University – and another man, 30-year-old Anthony Leon Ely. Three teenage girls, who were with the two men, were handed over to social services.
According to Daily Mail, Baltimore police made arrangements to meet up with a woman on Backpage at a Best Western Hotel, where they were conducting a sting operation. The woman claimed to be 23-years-old and was looking to engage in sexual activity for money.
When the woman arrived at the Best Western Hotel, undercover police officers discovered she was under the age of 18. Two other girls – who accompanied her along with two men – were found to be minors as well (14 and 16).
The two Baltimore men, Brown and Ely, were subsequently arrested for human trafficking.
Brown, who is the son of a prominent attorney in the Baltimore area, claimed that he had no idea the girls were underage and were involved in prostitution. He also claimed that he didn’t know the girls at all.
Former @TempleUniv football star & son of prominent Baltimore attorney charged with human trafficking underage girls. http://t.co/l2ciTKTIoQ
— ?’-l? ?’-l? k?-n?’ (@IloiloKano) March 28, 2015
However, one of the girls, 17, confessed to police officials that both men were aware of their age and that they took them to meet up with other men before.
The girls were paying the two men $300 to take them to meet guys. Brown provided condoms to the girls just before their meeting.
Not only were the two men taking the girls to meet up with men, they were robbing them, as well.
The 17-year-old said that in lieu of having sex with the undercover officer, she had plans of snatching his money and running out of the door as she had done before.
Brown’s father, Warren Brown, spoke with reporters about how devastated he was after hearing the news of his son being charged with human trafficking.
“It brought tears to my eyes. My heart was broken. I haven’t had time to sit down and go talk to him about this. I haven’t had time really to look at the charge papers.”
Brown and Ely are currently being held at the county jail. Although they were both charged with human trafficking, they each received a different bond.
Brown’s bond was set at $75,000, while Ely received $1 million bond.
[Image courtesy of United Nations/Flickr]
