Former Temple University football star charged with human trafficking after 'bringing girls aged 14, 16 and 17 to hotel for prostitution'

  • Matthew Warren Brown, 25, and Anthony Leon Eley Jr., 30, were arrested during a string operation at a Baltimore hotel
  • Undercover detectives used the escorts section on a website and arranged to meet with a woman who claimed to be 23
  • Brown told police he did not know the girls were underage or involved in prostitution 
  • Brown was once signed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers  

By Anneta Konstantinides For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

A former Temple University football star and another man have been charged with human trafficking after they allegedly brought three girls aged 14, 16 and 17 to a hotel for prostitution, according to Baltimore police. 

Matthew Warren Brown, 25, and Anthony Leon Eley Jr., 30, were arrested during a sting operation at a Best Western Hotel. 

Undercover detectives used the escorts section on the website Backpage.com and arranged to meet with a woman, who claimed to be 23, at the hotel on St Patrick's Day, according to court documents. 

Matthew Warren Brown, 25, (left) was arrested with Anthony Leon Eley Jr., 30, (right) during a sting operation at a Baltimore hotel where they allegedly brought three underage girls aged 14, 16 and 17 for prostitution
The two men were arrested for human trafficking. Undercover detectives used the escorts section of a website and arranged to meet with a woman who claimed to be 23

Matthew Warren Brown, 25, (left) was arrested with Anthony Leon Eley Jr., 30, (right) during a sting operation at a Baltimore hotel where they allegedly brought three underage girls aged 14, 16 and 17 for prostitution 

Police said one of the girls asked for money, according to WBAL TV.  

Brown, a former Temple University running back, and Eley were arrested after they arrived at the hotel with the three underage girls in their car, according to police. 

Court documents state that Brown told police he had met the three girls on the street and gave them a ride to a different hotel before driving them to the Best Western.

Brown claimed he did not know the girls were underage or involved in prostitution and that Eley provided the car, according to charging documents.

One of the girls told police that both men had known the girls were underage, according to court documents.

The girl alleged Brown drove them to two meetings with two other men before they arrived at the Best Western. 

She claimed the girls had robbed both of the men of their money and intended to do the same at the Best Western meeting.

According to court documents, the girl told police she paid Brown $300 to drive the girls around. She said Eley had given the girls condoms for their meetings.

The 17-year-old girl told police that Brown was the girls' pimp and also said he knew they were underage, documents state. 

Brown, a former football star at Temple University (pictured), told police he had met the girls on the street that day and were unaware they were underage or involved in prostitution, according to court documents 

Brown, a former football star at Temple University (pictured), told police he had met the girls on the street that day and were unaware they were underage or involved in prostitution, according to court documents 

The girls were taken into custody as human trafficking victims and were interviewed by the FBI Child Sexual Exploitation Task Force. 

They face no charges and are under the care of social services, according to a spokesman for the police department.   

Brown is the son of prominent Baltimore attorney Warren Brown, who told WBAL TV that the news was 'gut-wrenching' and 'devastating'.

'It brought tears to my eyes. My heart was broken,' he said. 'I haven't had time to sit down and go talk to him about this. I haven't had time really to look at the charge papers.' 

Both Brown and Eley were released on bond. 

This month Eley was charged with assaulting a police officer, as well as second-degree burglary of a pharmacy. 

Brown was a Big East Special Teams Player of the Year while he played for Temple University, according to the Baltimore Sun.  

He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a kick returner in 2013 before being released.  

One of the girls told police that both men had known the girls were underage, according to court documents, and alleged Brown drove them to two meetings before they arrived at the Best Western (pictured)

One of the girls told police that both men had known the girls were underage, according to court documents, and alleged Brown drove them to two meetings before they arrived at the Best Western (pictured)

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