SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A case against a Ferndale man charged with sex trafficking was dropped Monday after the victim failed to show up to court or respond to prosecutors.
Rodney Holland, 29, was charged with transporting a female for prostitution, accepting prostitution earnings, human trafficking enterprise resulting in injury or commercial sex activity, and human trafficking - forced labor earlier this year.
The dismissal comes after the victim did not show up to a preliminary exam scheduled for last month or Monday's court hearing and stopped replying to the prosecution.
According to the judge, the prosecution said the victim was scared because Holland's family had allegedly contacted her. However, there is no evidence proving that this happened, so the charges were dismissed.
The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning that charges could be re-filed at a later date.
Rodney Holland in court on May 19, 2025
The backstory:
Holland was accused of trafficking a 49-year-old Flint woman out of Marvin's Garden Inn and Red Oak Inn - both motels on Northwestern Highway in Southfield.
Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said Holland used social media for commercial sex advertisements, with evidence pointing to other victims of the suspect. Those victims are from Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. It is unclear if he was working with more suspects or how large his operation was.
In early March, the victim from Flint was able to get help when she told a clerk at Red Oak Inn that she was scared of her boyfriend. That clerk called police, and Holland was arrested a few days later.
"She was very emotional, visibly afraid. She said she had gotten into a verbal dispute," Barren said. "She (previously) tried to distance herself from the suspect (sitting in her car). He asked her to get out of the car. She asked him if he was going to hurt her. He responded by calling her the b-word and stated, ‘If I wanted you dead, you would be dead.’"
When speaking to the victim, police said she only knew Holland's nickname, Mello, despite dating him for four months. This was a red flag for officers, Barren said.
Dig deeper:
When he was arrested, Holland was already on probation for assault with attempt to do great bodily harm.
He also previously served a probation sentence for ramming a Detroit police officer with a vehicle, according to court records.
The Source: A court hearing and previous FOX 2 reporting were used to write this story.
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