Man Faces Sex Trafficking, Prostitution, Assault Charges Involving Woman Trapped In Motel

LAUREL, MD — A Laurel man faces sex trafficking charges after police say he forced a woman to perform "commercial sex dates" for eight days at a hotel.

Charging documents state that the incident happened between late June and early July. The woman was waiting for a Greyhound bus to New York near the Horseshoe Casino and the Royal Farms in Baltimore between 2 and 3 a.m. The woman had her 10-week-old puppy with her, reported The Baltimore Sun.

Vincent “Red” Gibson, 43, walked up to her and offered her a ride. She got in the vehicle, then Gibson took her to a motel in Laurel where she fell asleep. When she awoke, Gibson showed her videos, pictures and text messages of other women and advertisements for sex with price lists for sex acts, charging documents showed. He told her he'd make her a page, too.

The woman told him no, but Gibson went ahead and set up a "commercial sex date" for her at the motel. Gibson directed the woman to go to the store during the day to “get what she needed to look good” and he would pay for it, according to the charging documents. Whenever she left, Gibson would keep her puppy as leverage and give it back when she returned, The Baltimore Sun reported. When the “date” arrived at the motel, the woman refused and the “date” left, taking his payment with him. Gibson returned and began to assault the woman and said, “That better not happen again, I’ll kill you,” according to charging documents.

Gibson has been charged with one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion — a felony. He also faces two misdemeanor charges of taking or causing someone to be taken somewhere for the purpose of prostitution and one felony charge of benefitting financially from sex trafficking. Gibson also faces a second-degree assault charge. he has been scheduled for a motion hearing on Dec. 10 with the trial set to begin on Jan. 7.

Read more at The Baltimore Sun.