Rockville man charged with sex trafficking in Silver Spring

A Rockville, Maryland, man has been arrested on sex trafficking charges, Montgomery County police said Thursday.

Ernest Wilkerson. Click to enlarge. (Courtesy Montgomery County police)

And they’re looking for additional victims.

Ernest Wilkerson, 32, is facing sex trafficking and prostitution-related charges.

According to Montgomery County police, detectives began an investigation into Wilkerson in December 2021 after a victim said she was sex trafficked by him in October of last year.

Wilkerson was arrested on Jan. 27 near Heartfields Road in Silver Spring, where police said he attempted to pick up a trafficking victim in his red 2009 Cadillac DTS.

According to authorities, he wanted to take her to a hotel to meet with people for “sexual exploitation.”

Wilkerson is being held without bond.

Police think there may be more victims of sex trafficking by Wilkerson who have not contacted them.

Detectives are urging victims to contact the Vice and Intelligence Unit at 240-773-5958.

Below is a photo of Wilkerson’s car.

Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

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