It seems as though new horror stories about in-person meetings of people who met online make the news on a daily basis. When these meetings go bad, criminal charges are sometimes filed against the party who is accused of illegal actions.
One Maryland preacher is now facing serious charges for his alleged actions when meeting up with escorts he met online. The 33-year-old man is charged with armed robbery, assault, attempted first-degree murder, reckless endangerment and theft.
He was allegedly meeting escorts through a classified ads website. He would then meet them at hotels. From there, the allegations take a turn toward violence. He would allegedly beat the women, rape them and rob them. The incidents occurred at a Best Western Plus and a Radisson Hotel.
In one instance, he allegedly told the woman she was going to die that day after forcing her to strip naked. He reportedly beat the woman’s face, bit her arm, cut her legs, arms and hands, and stole items from her. The items that were taken included $300 in cash, an iPad and a cellphone. The cellphone was located by authorities. The preacher’s phone number was reportedly matched to the number that was used to communicate with the women.
Anyone who is facing serious charges like this should learn about his or her options for a defense. It is vital that the possible defense options take the specific points and evidence into account. Once the possibilities are determined, you can move forward with building a defense based on the strategy you opt to use.
Source: New York Daily News, “Maryland preacher Gabriel Omogbo found escorts online, then raped and robbed them in violent hotel encounters: authorities,” Dan Good, Nov. 30, 2015