Five Indicted In Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury has indicted five individuals in a sex trafficking conspiracy. The following defendants are charged in the indictment:

Kenneth Ronald Robinson, a/k/a “Kenny” and “Keith,” age 52, of Baltimore, Maryland;
Eric Evans, a/k/a “E,” age 38, of Baltimore;
Jeffrey Clark, a/k/a “cripple on a Budget,” age 43, of Nottingham, Maryland;
Craig Judy, age 29, of Baltimore; and
Cheralyn Crawford, a/k/a “Rachel,” age 25, of Baltimore.

The superseding indictment, which adds Evans as a defendant, was returned on January 28, 2014, and unsealed today upon Evans’ arrest. The original indictment against Robinson, Clark, Judy and Crawford was returned on October 1, 2013.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

The two count indictment alleges that from May 12 through June 17, 2013, the defendants recruited, transported, and received money by having a minor female, born in 1999, engage in commercial sex acts. The defendants instructed the victim on pricing for the different sexual activities. The defendants are also alleged to have taken photographs of the minor victim in sexually explicit poses and posted those photos in advertisements on an internet website to advertise her prostitution services. The defendants transported the minor victim to motels in the Towson, Maryland, area, where she was directed to meet with commercial sex customers to engage in prostitution.

The defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison. An initial appearance has been scheduled at 2:45 p.m. for Evans in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. The remaining defendants had their initial appearances in October 2013. Robinson, Clark and Judy are detained and Crawford is released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force (MCETF), created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Task Force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.

MCETF partners with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, Baltimore County Police Department, Maryland State Police and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Ayn B. Ducao and Rachel M. Yasser, who are prosecuting the case.