On Friday morning, Ronald McBride, 22, of Sarasota, was found guilty on six (6) felony charges including Human Trafficking (sexual). This is the first case, locally, where a suspect has been found guilty of Human Trafficking.
McBride was found guilty this morning of Human Trafficking (sexual), Aggravated Assault with a Weapon, Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Robbery with a Firearm, False Imprisonment and Sexual Battery. All charges stem from a December 2015 case.
“This is a victory for the Sarasota Police Department, the State Attorney’s Office 12th Judicial Circuit and our partners Selah Freedom on behalf of all victims of human trafficking,” said Captain Corinne Stannish, Criminal Investigations Division. "Human beings being sexually exploited is inexcusable and we are proud to have worked hard to put Ronald McBride behind bars for his crimes. Prostitution is not the world’s oldest profession, it’s the world’s oldest abuse story.”
“The intensity with which we are coming against drug trafficking is also how we are coming against human trafficking. Survivors of sex trafficking are the most vulnerable in our community,” said Kindsey Pentecost, Law Enforcement Liaison for Selah Freedom. “Predators know exactly how to prey upon them. Our collaboration with the Sarasota Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office is helping to stop that.”
McBride is expected to be sentenced in September.
