Howard County Police Arrest 3 in Prostitution Sting

HOWARD COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) -- The Howard County Police Department has charged two men and a woman with human trafficking and prostitution after a two-month investigation revealed they were forcing women from various states to perform sex acts for money and keeping the profits.

Here are the people charged:

• Donald M. Williams, 41, Baltimore resident
• Tiffany N. Lowery, 30, Baltimore resident
• Rashon T. Pratt, 27, resident of Camden, N.J.

Detectives started the investigation in September, and police report that more than 12 women were being advertised for the purposes of prostitution. They used website advertisements, and each ad had some variation of  "X-Factor" in the title.

The suspects had been posting ads, renting hotel rooms, facilitating appointments and taking money from the woman after forcing them to perform sex acts for money with various men.

The investigation also showed that the suspects were drugging the women and forcing them to work without allowing them to sleep, which are commonly used tactics by "pimps" or "traffickers."

All of the female victims were in their 20s or 30s, and they were offered assistance and housing alternatives for their safety.

Two of the suspects are being held on bond, and Lowery has been released on his $250,000 bond.