Rockville man arrested on sex trafficking and prostitution charges

ROCKVILLE, Md. - A Rockville man has been arrested on sex trafficking and prostitution charges.

Police arrested Ernest Wilkerson on Heartsfield Dr. in Silver Spring on January 27th as he tried to pick up the victim he was trafficking.

"This is a concerning and disturbing incident. Our investigation began in December 2021 when a victim came forward and said she was sex trafficked by Ernest Wilkerson in October 2021," said Carlos Cortes, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Police Department.

Police reports show this victim was trafficked just a year and a half after Wilkerson was released from jail for similar charges.

He was out on probation when he was arrested last week while driving a 2009 red Cadillac DTS to meet his victim.

After the victim came forward, undercover detectives were able to work with her to record a phone conversation between the victim and the suspect.

In that call, Wilkerson stated he would post an ad and set up appointments for multiple people to have sex with her for money.

"The victim and the suspect met online and that’s how they initiated their relationship," said Cortes. "The suspect would set up the day and times when the victim would meet with individuals with the purpose of sexual exploitation, and also he would take the proceeds of this type of activity."

Wilkerson is currently being held without bond in the Central Processing Unit in Rockville. 

Detectives believe there are more victims out there. They are asking anyone who may have been trafficked by Wilkerson to come forward.