Odenton is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, located approximately 10–20 minutes from the state capital, Annapolis. Its population is about 43,000. Prostitution and human trafficking are well documented problems in Odenton, and throughout AA County.  For example, in March 2015,  two Odenton men were sentenced to prison for charges related to prostitution and human trafficking.  They had persuaded women to join their prostitution ring through the Internet and social networking sites, and transported the women to be prostituted in Maryland, New York and New Jersey. One of the men was sentenced to 13 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for use of an interstate facility to promote a prostitution business and conspiring to commit sex trafficking by force and fraud, officials said. His co-defendant was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for use of an interstate facility to promote a prostitution business. They had used the Internet to recruit women and advertise sex services from 2012 to 2013, according to their plea agreements.  The men rented hotel rooms using prepaid gift and debit cards to house the women and serve as a place to prostitute. The FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case; the task force was created in 2010 to combat child prostitution and sex trafficking and has 10 members from state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Among the tactics used to combat commercial sex and sex trafficking are those that focus on consumer level demand.  For example, in February 2018, Anne Arundel County Police charged a man with sexual solicitation of a minor and prostitution, after he reportedly solicited a girl using the Facebook Messenger app. The girl’s mother contacted police to report she found her underage daughter had been communicating with a man via the app. Detectives from the Anne Arundel County Child Abuse Unit began an investigation into the communications. A detective assumed the identity of a girl online and the suspect allegedly solicited sexual acts in exchange for money. Police say the man arranged to meet the girl at a fast food restaurant in the 1100 block of Annapolis Road in Odenton. Investigators urge any other victims or anyone with information on this incident to call the Anne Arundel County Child Abuse Unit at 410-222-4733. You can remain anonymous by calling the Anne Arundel County Tip Line at 410-222-4700 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.