Crime & Safety
Man Found Not Guilty of Holding Exotic Dancers at Gunpoint
An Annapolis man was acquitted on all charges; two private dancers claimed he pointed a gun at them when they refused his request for sex.
ANNAPOLIS, MD — An Anne Arundel County jury has acquitted an Annapolis man on all charges — including assault and prostitution — for a reported armed encounter with two exotic dancers.
Roger Thomas Cole Jr., 50, of the 800 block of Coachway in Annapolis, was found not guilty Tuesday at trial. He was charged with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony or violent crime, reckless endangerment and prostitution.
Cole was arrested by Anne Arundel County Police in October 2015 after two women who reportedly refused to perform a sex act with Cole were threatened at gunpoint before escaping the house, according to police. Cole allegedly grabbed one of the victims and pointed a handgun at her head. When the second woman intervened, Cole allegedly grabbed her and placed the gun under her chin, police said in their charging documents.
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The Capital-Gazette reports the women told Anne Arundel County Police they are private dancers who were called to a nearby house.
»Photo of Roger Cole Jr., courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police
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