Jessup Man Charged With Human Trafficking Of Teen

JESSUP, MD — A Jessup man has been charged with human trafficking and related offenses. Police said he was arrested Tuesday after detectives found a teen in a Laurel motel allegedly forced into prostitution by him.

Jabari Theodore, 26, of the 10000 block of Guilford Road, was charged with three counts of human trafficking (causing someone to be in a place of prostitution, benefiting financially from human trafficking and receiving compensation), two counts of prostitution and concealing a deadly weapon.

Authorities allege Theodore coordinated appointments for the teen using the website Backpage, forced her to perform sex acts and took the money she was paid.

Police said Theodore was arrested after detectives visited a hotel on Washington Boulevard in Laurel where an 18-year-old woman had been advertised on the website Backpage.

Theodore posted $2,500 bond and has been released from the Howard County Detention Center, police reported on Wednesday.

The teen was connected with an agency that offers assistance to the victims of human trafficking.

"Howard County has an ongoing effort to combat prostitution, human trafficking and related offenses," police said in a statement. "Investigators are focused on arresting traffickers and offering assistance to victims through housing, treatment, transportation and other services."

The Howard County Police Department regularly posts ads on Backpage alerting potential clients and victims that officers are watching and offering resources for support.

Theodore is slated to appear May 17 in Howard County District Court.

He is the second man charged with human trafficking in the area over the course of a week. Anne Arundel County police on Thursday arrested a man in connection with trafficking at a motel in Linthicum. He is being held without bail and has been charged with trafficking as well as assault.

In Maryland, human trafficking of an adult is considered a misdemeanor. Someone found guilty of trafficking an adult in Maryland may face a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to 10 years in jail.

A bill filed in the Maryland General Assembly last month proposed making human trafficking a felony offense in the state; it died in the House Judiciary Committee.

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File photo by Elizabeth Janney.