BALTIMORE — A Washington County grand jury indicted a Baltimore woman on 135 counts connected to an alleged sex trafficking ring. Officials say 11 of the victims were women from Hagerstown.
According to a news release from the office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, 33-year-old Kenika Danielle Leach faces charges after a two-year, multi-agency investigation. Officials say Leach and her organization used hotels and motels throughout Maryland to perform commercial sex acts.
Leach was indicted Monday on charges of managing a criminal organization and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threat, coercion, or fraud.
“Sex trafficking is a horrific crime that often preys on people struggling with the disease of drug addiction, exploiting their dependency to coerce and control them,” said Attorney General Brown. “The lasting harm to survivors is profound—it’s physically and psychologically traumatic and shatters their sense of security and self-worth. My office is working tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice, for the safety of the community and so survivors can begin healing and reclaiming their lives.”
The investigation into the alleged sex trafficking ring began in December 2021 when the Baltimore Police Department was notified by staff at an area hospital that a patient had told them they were a victim of sex trafficking by Leach.
The victim further explained that they had been taken from Hagerstown to Baltimore to do sexual acts that would give Leach money who would in exchange give the victim drugs.
Detectives later contacted the Attorney General’s Office’s Organized Crime Unit, which launched what became a two-year investigation into Leach and her criminal organization, which sometimes advertised itself as the “Pussy Kat Klub.”
Throughout the investigation, detectives identified 10 more additional victims who had been brought to hotels in Baltimore and Anne Arundel County from Hagerstown.
The indictment alleges that Leach knew the victims were addicted to drugs and used their vulnerability to control and coerce them into performing sex acts for her own financial gain. Prosecutors accuse Leach of using drugs to create a dynamic network where the victims would become indebted to her for a "drug debt," which they would have to repay by working for her.
Additionally, Leach is accused of becoming physically violent against the women.
"For example, when Leach intended to physically assault the women as punishment for disobeying her rules, she would order them to “get on the wall” and cover their faces so that she could batter them without impacting their physical appearance. Leach also used intimidation and manipulation to coerce the women to remain obedient and loyal to her," the Maryland OAG's news release reads.
Leach will appear in court again on June 24.
“Although Kenika Danielle Leach will have her day in court, she stands accused of some very serious and disturbing crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of HSI Baltimore. “Through her actions, Ms. Leach allegedly victimized at least 11 Maryland residents. Hopefully, this indictment can bring them some comfort in knowing that their alleged predator will be held accountable. HSI Baltimore will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and dismantle human trafficking networks operating throughout the state of Maryland.”
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