A 52-year-old Kent man allegedly forced more than 150 women to work as prostitutes over a seven-month period using his East Hill home and numerous South King County motels and hotels.
Maurice Anthony Brown, who has a lengthy criminal history, has been charged with two counts of first-degree promoting prostitution and two counts of second-degree rape, according to charging documents filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday, July 18, at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. He remained in custody Wednesday at the county jail in Seattle with bail set at $500,000.
“According to the police reports, the defendant has forced multiple women to engage in prostitution through threats and acts of physical violence against them,” wrote Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Alexandra Voorhees in charging papers filed July 8. “He has also raped two known victims and possibly others. The defendant poses an imminent threat to the community and in particular to the vulnerable women that he preys upon.”
Kent Police arrested Brown July 5 after he exited his vehicle in the 200 block of Central Avenue North in Kent. Detectives had followed him from the Iron Horse Casino in Auburn. Brown declined to speak to police and asked to speak to his lawyer, according to charging papers.
Detectives received a tip in early June that sex trafficking could be going on at a East Hill home. A woman told detectives the Brown, known as “Tone,” forces females to work for him. Most of the women are transients addicted to narcotics and Brown lures them by offering free narcotics and housing. Brown usually worked the females for a few days before letting them leave or kicking them out.
The woman told police she drove Brown around for about the past seven months and he forced more than 150 women to work as prostitutes for him. She also said Brown has used her to make first contact with women on the street.
A few women have worked for Brown for longer terms. Two women said Brown forced them to have sex with him. He would forcibly hold them down and punch or slap them if they fought back. One woman said Brown also would strangle her.
One woman told police Brown had forced her to have sex with other men for approximately the past two years. She said Brown would keep all of the money that men paid.
Brown’s criminal history includes convictions for conspiracy to deliver heroin (2010); possession of heroin (2010); conspiracy to deliver cocaine (2010); possession of cocaine (2010); forgery (2002); felony burglary (2007); aggravated sodomy (1993); rape (1993); kidnapping (1993); obstruction (1997, 1994); attempt to elude (1994); hit and run (1994); and assault domestic violence (1994). All of the convictions from 2002 and earlier were in Georgia.
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