Glen Burnie Man Sentenced to Federal Prison Following Conviction on Sex Trafficking Charges

A resident of Glen Burnie has been sentenced after being convicted of sex trafficking charges in federal court.

In a statement, federal prosecutors said U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Benjamin Lawton, age 42, of Glen Burnie, on August 23, 2023, to 19 years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, in connection with his sex trafficking and or transportation of eight women to work for him in his prostitution business.  According to the statement, Judge Bennett also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Lawton will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).  Judge Bennett also ordered that Lawton must pay restitution to the victims in the full amount of their losses.

"Lawton put one of the victims into hotel rooms near the BWI airport, where she engaged in commercial sex and provided all the money she earned to Lawton," the statement said.  "Lawton also punched another victim in the eye when he found out that she did not give him all the money she earned; Lawton routinely threatened a victim, telling her that he would beat her so badly her family wouldn’t recognize her."