North Fulton County

Judge dismisses 11 charges against man accused of holding women captive

By Mike Petchenik, WSB-TV
By Mike Petchenik, WSB-TV

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A judge has dismissed a large part of the case against the man accused of holding six women against their will inside a Sandy Springs mansion.

Kenndric Roberts appeared before a judge Thursday and heard the extensive case against him.

Channel 2's Mike Petchenik was inside the courtroom and live-tweeted the hearing as a detective went on the stand to detail the investigation.

Roberts was facing 14 felony charges, including six counts of human trafficking and six counts of false imprisonment, and weapons charges.

Charges that remain are:

1.      False Imprisonment
2.      False Imprisonment
3.      Weapons charge

Kenndric Roberts in court

Prosecutors said Roberts held six women against their will at a mansion and forced them to dance at the Pink Pony strip club.

They said he took their money, by one account, $78,000, for just two months of work.

An undercover detective testified that Roberts met the women through a sugar daddy matchmaking site.

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Investigators said he also threatened harm to the women if they left him.

"He took her phone. We found her passport in his bedroom,” said detective Justin Clutter. “Basically she was in fear because she saw firearms. He ended up sending her to Dominican Republic to get a breast augmentation and a butt lift. And he started making threats.”

Roberts attorney called him a "poor man's Hugh Hefner," who had legit contracts with these women to pay them for the work they were doing for him.

“He thought he was going to have a big entertainment company and these women were going to be models and that was their game plan,” attorney Mike Maloof Sr. said.

He argued Roberts lavished them with expensive gifts as part of their payment and that they were free to leave as they wanted.

The judge granted Roberts an $80,000 bond.

Minute by minute coverage of the case: 

Cox Media Group

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