Lanham is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located within Prince George’s County, Maryland, in the greater D.C. metropolitan area. The community has about 11,000 residents. Prostitution and sex trafficking have been well documented throughout Prince George’s County, including in the town of Lanham. For example, in 2019 a Lanham resident admitted to selling drugs to women engaging in prostitution, and giving them food and a place to stay while profiting from their activities, according to charging documents. Police apprehended the man in Laurel after receiving an anonymous tip that a woman was being held there against her will. Also in 2019, a police officer was suspended while authorities conducted investigations into allegations that an off-duty Prince George’s County police officer exchanged money for a sexual act while he was in his marked cruiser. Within hours of PG County authorities learning about the allegation, the officer was suspended with pay while the case moved forward.

The need to confront the wide range of problems associated with the local sex trade have led local authorities to include efforts to combat the consumer-level demand that drives all prostitution and sex trafficking. For example, a reverse sting operation was conducted in Lanham in June 2016. A Prince George’s County elementary school teacher was among four men arrested at a hotel in Lanham. The Silver Spring resident was employed as a teacher at a Hyattsville elementary school at the time he was arrested, according to Prince George’s County Police. The man was charged with two counts of prostitution and human trafficking. Investigators said the man solicited a prostituted person and rented a room that was used for prostitution. He was taken into the custody of the Maryland Department of Corrections. Prince George’s County Public Schools said in a statement to FOX5:

“Prince George’s County Public Schools is aware of the arrest of a Langley Park McCormick Elementary School teacher. We will cooperate fully with law enforcement in its investigation. PGCPS is not going to tolerate this kind of conduct. The district remains focused on our commitment to ensure a quality education in a safe environment for the children of PGCPS.”