Crime & Safety
2 More Victims Identified In Sex Trafficking Ring Involving Waterford Speedbowl Owner
Two more alleged victims have emerged in a Danbury sex trafficking ring case involving the owner of the Waterford Speedbowl and others.
DANBURY, CT - Police said two more alleged victims have emerged in an ongoing Danbury sex trafficking case, the Danbury News Times reported. Both victims have filed lawsuits in Superior Court, claiming to have been victimized by a ring operated in the city for more than two decades.
The new filings brings the total number of victims who have come forward since ring operator Robert King’s arrest to seven, according to the Danbury News Times. One of the new filings concerned a man who authorities said killed himself during a car chase eight years ago, and to whom King had a shrine in his home. (To sign up for Waterford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)
See also: Speedbowl Owner Charged in Sex Trafficking Ring Exploiting Young Men: Police
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Patch previously reported that Bruce J. Bemer, 63, of Glastonbury, and William Trefzger, 71, of Westport, were arrested in March for their alleged roles in the sex trafficking ring. Bemer is the owner of Glastonbury-based Bemer Petroleum and the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
Subsequently released court records revealed a harrowing tale of prostitution and drug abuse, in which the suspects targeted people with mental health issues ranging from depression to schizophrenia. Arrest affidavits alleged King would identify young men with mental health disorders and befriend them with promises of work, money and necessities.
Find out what's happening in Waterfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The victims would hang out around King's trailer located near the Danbury Fair Mall for a period of time, where King would allegedly offer them drugs such as heroin and cocaine in order to build up a debt. When victims were unable to pay King back, he offered them a way out through sex work, according to court documents.
"Clients" would have King deliver the victims to them, and sometimes they would travel to his Miry Brook Road trailer for sex. They would pay the victim between $200 and $250 for sex, and King would get $50 of that price.
Read the full Danbury News Times story here.
Image via Shutterstock.
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