Glen Burnie Man Pleads Guilty to the Trafficking and Prostitution of a 12-Year-Old Girl

BALTIMORE—A Glen Burnie man pleaded guilty Tuesday to the trafficking and prostitution of a 12-year-old girl.

Derwin Samuel Smith, 42, of Glen Burnie faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, followed by up to lifetime supervised release, according to the U.S. State’s Attorney for the District of Maryland. If the court accepts the plea agreement, Smith will be sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison.

According the state's attorney's account of the plea agreement, on June 7, 2010, members of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force found a 12-year-old girl who had been reported missing and was believed to be involved in prostitution, at a motel in Maryland City.

“The victim was rescued thanks to superb work by the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein in a press release. “We hope that this prosecution sends a message to low-life criminals who prostitute children.”

The girl called a relative from the motel room and an investigation revealed that the motel room was registered to Smith, the state's attorney's office said. After officers arrived at the motel room, the child said that Smith told her that he would be back later that evening to have sex with her.

According to the state's attorney's office, the girl was taken to police headquarters and said Smith was the person who picked her up on the street in Washington, D.C., paid for sexual services performed in the backseat of his car and recruited her to work for him as a prostitute.

According to the statement of facts, Smith then drove the girl to Atlantic City, NJ, where Smith told her to have sex with men for money over the weekend. The girl said she gave Smith all of the money she earned.

Officers waited at the motel until Smith arrived at the room, court officials said. Smith was arrested and a search recovered the key to the motel room where the girl was recovered. Smith later admitted doing the things the girl accused him of.

U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2011, at 9:15 a.m. Smith remains detained.

As part of his plea agreement, Smith must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).