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HERRIMAN — A Herriman man who investigators say has "a long and violent history" with a woman is accused of forcing her into prostitution.
Michel Braden Stump, 38, was arrested Wednesday for investigation of a dozen charges, including aggravated human trafficking, exploiting prostitution, patronizing a prostitute and several drug-related crimes.
The Utah Attorney General's Office began investigating in March. Stump has known the woman since 2009 and during that time Stump "had both physically and sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, eventually forcing her to work in the commercial sex industry," according to a police booking affidavit.
While the woman was pregnant in 2010, he would arrange on dating apps for other men to go to her house and "he would encourage her to have sex with the men and then tell him about it," according to the affidavit.
When she was in the hospital to give birth, she was sexually assaulted by Stump, the affidavit states. The woman says social workers met with her during that time and "several members of her medical team had asked her about Stump and his controlling nature," but she did not report the alleged sexual assault.
Later in 2010, Stump forced the woman to gain employment at escort services in Salt Lake City and South Salt Lake, according to the affidavit. The woman told investigators "while working as an escort, Stump would set a dollar amount she would need to make each night. When (investigators) questioned her about what would happen if she was unable to meet this threshold, she stated that Stump would 'strip, beat and lock me in a closet.'"
Even after their relationship ended, Stump continued sending the woman sexually graphic messages, the affidavit says, and continued to encourage her to work in the sex industry to make money.
When investigators served a search warrant on Stump's home, they "found several pounds of raw marijuana, hundreds of THC edibles (and) THC vaping devices," according to the affidavit.
Furthermore, agents say they have "reason to believe, based upon the investigation, that Stump frequently engages with commercial sex workers and distributes controlled substances throughout the community," the affidavit states.
