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Cornell Scott-Milbourne, of Crum Lynne, was arrested on numerous charges relating to forcing women into sex for financial gains, aggravated indecent assault, sexual assault and more, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said.
He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Deborah A. Lukens, who set bail at $1 million cash.
Detectives with Steele's office got a tip from a concerned citizen May 10 that there may have been prostitution activity happening in two rooms at the Hampton Inn on Chemical Road in Plymouth Meeting, Steele said.
The concerned citizen said there were two men, three women and a baby staying in the rooms.
An investigation found that the phone number provided to the hotel when renting the rooms was being used as the contact number in online advertisements offering sexual services, Steele said.
A detective responded to the ad by calling the number and was told the prices for various sexual services, authorities said.
A search warrant was served on the hotel rooms and a woman staying in one of them rooms told detectives she was being held captive, given drugs and forced into sex for money with unknown men, Steele said.
The woman did not keep any of the money, which instead went to Scott Milbourne, authorities said.
Detectives found more than $3,000 cash on Scott-Milbourne at the time of his arrest, Steele said.
“This human trafficking arrest is the first arrest by the new Special Victims Unit of our Detective Bureau but it won’t be the last,” said Steele. “Human trafficking is abhorrent and needs to be stopped.”
Scott-Milbourne was arrested and charged with five first-degree felony counts of Human Trafficking -- Involuntary Servitude, Aggravated Indecent Assault of a Child, Sexual Assault, multiple counts of Promoting Prostitution, Living Off Prostitutes and other charges, Steele's office announced.
Scott Milbourn was unable to make bail and was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m., May 25, 2021 before Magisterial District Judge Francis J. Barnhardt III.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Bridget Gallagher.
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