Bellevue Police arrested a 42-year-old Maple Valley man on sex trafficking charges after a 15-year-old girl told them she was forced to provide sex for clients at his home and other locations. Detectives served a search warrant at Tony Eldridge’s home in the 22500 block of SE 218th St in Maple Valley on August 3, 2023. Following a three-hour standoff, Eldridge surrendered, was taken into custody, and booked into jail. King County Prosecutors charged Eldridge with Human Trafficking, Promoting Commercial Sexual Abuse of a Minor, Rape of a Child, and three counts of Promoting Prostitution. He is being held on $500,000 bail. Detectives seized his car as it was allegedly used during the crimes.
Officers recovered the 15-year-old victim on July 1, 2023, when they responded to a disturbance in the 11000 block NE 8th St in Bellevue. During the investigation, officers learned the girl was staying with Eldridge in what prosecutors described as a brothel in his Maple Valley home. Detectives accuse Eldridge of sexually and physically abusing the child and profiting from her commercial sexual exploitation.
Detectives discovered Eldridge is a registered sex offender in Multnomah County, Oregon, having been convicted of Promoting Prostitution in 2013.
Eldridge is scheduled for arraignment on August 17, 2023.
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