Abiathar Vance to Serve 25 Years for Human Trafficking of a Minor Related Offenses

FREDERICK – Abiathar Vance, 41, of Washington, DC appeared before Judge Theresa M. Adams and was sentenced to a total of 50 years in the Division of Corrections, with all but 25 years suspended.  Upon completion of his sentence, the defendant will be placed on 5 years supervised probation, with the conditions of registering as a Tier II sex offender and having no contact with any named victim.

On December 3, 2018, Abiathar Vance entered a guilty plea to 2 counts of Human Trafficking of a Minor and 1 count of Human Trafficking.  Judge Adams ordered a pre-sentence investigation at that time.

On December 30, 2017, Frederick Police Department Officers responded to the McDonald’s on Jefferson Street in reference to a reported abduction.  Officers made contact with the defendant and the 16 year old victim who had previously been reported missing for two months.   During a later interview the victim advised that she met the defendant Vance and co-defendant Luis Privado in August of 2017 at Union Station.  Vance induced the victim into becoming an escort.  She described the “dates” as having sex for money.  Vance arranged for the hotel rooms, clients and received the proceeds.  Privado also arranged for hotel rooms, drove the victim and Vance from DC to Frederick, and provided a rental car for Vance to use to transport the victim while in Frederick.  A second adult victim was later identified by law enforcement.  She indicated that she met the defendant through a craigslist ad soliciting strippers to work at a strip club.  When she arrived in Frederick she realized that there was no strip club and was induced to engage in escorting.  She advised that the defendant arranged all of the dates and took half of the proceeds.

The State was represented by Assistant State’s Attorney Lindsey Carpenter.

J. Charles Smith, III

State’s Attorney for Frederick County, Maryland