The following document was obtained from a website associated with the State of Maryland. Historically, prison, street and outlaw motorcycle gangs profit from drug distribution and have recently become involved in non-traditional criminal activity such as mortgage fraud and identity theft. Some gangs appear to be diversifying their income by reducing or eliminating drug trafficking activities in favor of juvenile prostitution. Gang members and associates recruit and exploit juveniles at detention centers, public housing units, shopping malls, schools, flea markets, sporting events, and through telephone chat lines.
U As observed with traditional pimps, gang control techniques include the use of violence, sexual assault, branding, and manipulation of victims to commit other crimes in furtherance of the gang. Gang members provide security, transport the victims to the dates, and schedule appointments often exploiting the victims for free sex.
As part of efforts by the pimp to remove himself from direct prostitution operations and shift culpability away from himself, juvenile victims β some of them female gang members and associates β may be forced to advertise for the business, solicit customers, schedule appointments, and collect money for the gang. The gang members also manipulated the victims into obtaining clients, scheduling prostitution appointments, transporting juvenile females to appointments, and collecting money.
The MS member, who allegedly recruited customers and provided security for their appointments, is also accused of threatening the girls and physically assaulting them if they did not want to have sex with clients. He also carried a machete for security duties and had sex with the juvenile girls free of charge. The Bloods member reportedly hosted parties at his home where he forced the victim to have sex with other partygoers, while assaulting the victim and preventing her from leaving.
Some authorities suggest that gangs are enticed into Internet prostitution by the potentially large profits derived from forcing their victims to prostitute themselves online, in addition to the convenience and anonymity of cyberspace, which often makes prostitution difficult for authorities to detect. The ease of Internet advertising and the use of smart phones have also afforded gangs a larger clientele and recruitment base.
