Madison Heights man sexually assaulted woman, trafficked her before arrest, prosecutor says
Gerod Penick, 33, of Madison Heights
(FOX 2) - A police call to a Madison Heights hotel led to the apprehension of an alleged human trafficker.
The suspect is facing several felony charges after he allegedly assaulted a victim after sexually assaulting her over the weekend.
What we know:
A 33-year-old Madison Heights man is charged with sex crimes including prostitution, sexual assault, and assault after police responded to an incident at a model in August.
Gerod Penick was arraigned on Monday after being taken into custody over the weekend.
Police arrested him at the Travelodge near 14 Mile after reports of an assault on Aug. 10. When Madison Heights police arrived, they met a victim inside a room who had visible injuries to her lip and nose.
She told law enforcement Penock had tried taking her phone, which escalated to the two getting into a fight. Prior to that, Penick allegedly sexually assaulted the victim, according to prosecutors.
Dig deeper:
Penick was also accused of forcing the victim to engage ins ex acts with other men for money against her will.
As a result, he's charged with a 15-year felony of human trafficking, as well as third-degree criminal sexual conduct, prostitution - accepting earnings, resisting and obstruction, and assault and battery.
"For too long, trafficking victims had been afraid to contact police for fear of being treated as criminal sex workers," said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald.
What we don't know:
Penick's preliminary exam is scheduled for Aug. 20 over Zoom.
More details will be made available when the defendant is back in court.
The Source: A press release from the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office was cited for this story.